South Sudan political researcher says Kiir’s group to blame for heightened tensions

JUBA – A South Sudan political researcher has said that ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) led by President Salva Kiir is to blame for escalation of tensions that has sparked fears of return to civil war following the deployment of troops around the residence of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny in Juba.

Kiir on Sunday night deployed heavily armed joint force comprising elements of South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) and South Sudan National Security Service (NSS) to the airport road in the capital that passes near the residence First Vice President Machar.

The deployment of troops, eyewitnesses said, was unusual and caused panic among the civil population. Machar confirmed the deployment of troops around his compound and said it was “reminiscent” of events leading up to December 2013 and July 2016 violence.

Speaking to Sudans Post yesterday, Tekwaj Peter, a South Sudanese political researcher, said the ruling SPLM party under President Kiir is to blame for the escalation of tensions because it has used a policy of ‘exclusion’ against other signatories of the agreement, SPLM-IO in particular, with the intention to frustrate the implementation of the 2018 peace deal.

“It cannot be denied that the current disturbing political developments are the result of a continued breach of the agreement by the SPLM in Government, as it is identified by the agreement, after using ‘politics of empowerment and exclusion’ against the SPLM-IO,” he told Sudans Post in an interview.

He further added that these latest “developments may have results that could contribute to precipitating the official collapse of the revitalized peace agreement.”