South Sudan ‘surprised’ as it disapproves Hamdok’s resignation

JUBA – South Sudan’s Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs Tutkew Gatluak Manimeh has said that his government is surprised by the abrupt resignation of the Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok who resigned last week over lack of understanding with other political forces to form a government.

In a televised address last week, Hamdok said Sudan was at a “dangerous turning point that threatens its whole survival” and added that he had tried his best to stop the country from “sliding towards disaster”, but that “despite everything that has been done to reach a consensus… it has not happened”.

Speaking to reporters following arrival in Khartoum on Thursday, Gatluak – who is accompanied by head of South Sudan’s National Security Service’s Internal Security Bureau Gen. Akol Koor Kuc and Governor of Unity state Nguen Manytuil – said they were sent to Sudan over the Prime Minister’s resignation.

“We came after what had happened in Sudan, there was an agreement but we were surprised by the resignation of the Prime Minister. We came to see the ongoing arrangements in Sudan, because Sudan is our country and its security and stability is certain to us,” Gatluak told reporters.

“President Kiir sent us to discuss with the Head of the Sovereign Council and his deputy and then to consult on implementation of Juba Peace Agreement,” the presidential aide added.

The senior South Sudan government official is also expected to meet leader of the breakaway SPLA-IO faction, General Simon Gatwech Dual who has returned to Khartoum from his base in Magenis on the invitation of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

James Kalany Mamuon, a spokesman allied to Gatwech said in a statement on Sunday that Gatwech was invited by the IGAD for a meeting with the government delegation to discuss ways to end clash in northern Upper Nile state and to also discuss pending issues on the security arrangements.

“The office of the Press Secretary, would like to inform the entire movement that, the Chairman and the Commander in Chief, of SPLM/A (IO) 1st Lt Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, accompanied by some senior officers within the SPLA (IO) rank and file, arrived to Khartoum this morning from Magenis/Kitgwang on the invitation of the IGAD (Sudan) to attend face to face meeting with the delegation of Government of South Sudan in Khartoum,” Mamuon said in a statement extended to Sudans Post on Sunday afternoon.

The senior opposition official further said the upcoming peace negotiation between them and President Kiir’s government is expected to discuss “the prospect of peace, the recent fighting in Magenis, and charts way forward to prevent any future wrangling at the border of Sudan.”