Kiir has ego to control security sector – Machar’s SPLM-IO

JUBA — South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny has accused President Salva Kiir of having an ego to impose his will on other signatories to the revitalized peace agreement and control the security sector.

This comes a week after the main armed opposition group group said Kiir was demanding that 60% of the unified army is allocated to him, in contravention of the provisions of the revitalized peace agreement which stipulated a 50/50 division of the army command and the forces to the government and the opposition.

Manawa Peter Gatkuoth, the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation who is also the acting spokesman of the SPLM-IO said the regional bloc, IGAD, proposed that the government gets 55% of the unified command.

The SPLMA-IO and other opposition groups take 45% percent of the army command.

He said the group has accepted the proposal at the command’s level, but said the President Kiir’s side of the agreement however demands that the same ratio be applied for all levels of the the forces.

“To overcome the deadlock, the Movement expressed its readiness to accept the IGAD- proposed compromise – 55% for the SPLM-IG/45% for the other signatory groups – at the level of the command of the security services. In return, the rule of equal shares – 50%/50 – must be applied at the level of forces in order to establish an inclusive national army to protect the country, respect the constitution, and stand at the same distance from all political forces,” Gathuoth, according to Sudan Tribune.

“However, President Salva Kiir wants to impose plans of his group to control the security sector in South Sudan by demanding 60% of the new national army be issued from his army,” he added.