Malong, Buay accept invitation to Magenis conference

JUBA – South Sudan holdout opposition leaders, General Paul Malong Awan and General Stephen Buay Rolnyang, have both accepted to attend the Magenis conference slated for September 30th, by General Simon Gatwech Dual’s SPLM/SPLA-IO Kitgwang faction, Sudans Post has understood.

On Thursday last week, General Simon Gatwech Dual wrote to General Paul Malong, the leader of South Sudan United Front (SSUF/A), and General Stephen Buay, the leader of South Sudan People’s Movement/Army (SSPM/A), inviting them to the conference which is expected to bring several opposition commanders together.

Speaking to Sudans Post this afternoon, Major Philip Deng Kuol Nguot, the SSUF/A Deputy Military Spokesperson said the group has accepted the invitation and were in consultation to decide if the delegation to Magenis conference will be held by Malong himself or his deputy.

“Since we received the invitation from the SPLM-IO in Magenis last week, we have been making consultations and we accepted to attend the conference because it is high time for the opposition group who are not part of the revitalized peace agreement to unite rank,” Maj. Philip told Sudans Post from Nairobi, Kenya.

“As I speak with you, we are making consultations on who will lead our delegation. We will either send our chairman to attend this important conference in person or we will either send our deputy chairman to attend on behalf of South Sudan United Front,” the opposition officer added.

For his part, General Stephen Buay Rolnyang said in a letter addressed to Gen. Gatwech Dual, that he will not attend the conference in person due to security concerns, but will send a high-level delegation to Magenis where the conference, mean to bring together senior opposition commanders, will take place at the end of the month.

“With all due respect, Comrade, I will not be able to attend the SPLM/A –IO leadership conference in person for security reasons that your c/ship know very well, however, I can attend it virtually online if you may connect me to the conference auditorium, but if that may not be possible, then we are going to send our SSPM/A Sudan representative and other two generals to represent SSPM/A at the conference,” he said in the letter seen by Sudans Post.

“Comrade, I would like to assure your c/ship that the SSPM/A stands with you and will support any fruitful resolution that may come out from the conference about the regime change agenda because we in the SSPM/A believe in the regime change agenda to liberate our people from political repressions in our country,” he added.

The opposition leader further stressed that “there is no any other alternative means to liberate our people rather than regime change agenda that all of us need to strive to achieve. We need to form a robust and formidable alliance that will be capable of defeating the regime within a short period of time. It is a high time to defeat the government because there are no capable forces on ground that can challenge us at the moment, but if we do not form an alliance or coalition, the lame duck government will consolidate itself and will try to challenge us further.”