SPLA-IO Kitgwang breakaway faction welcomes Kenya peace initiative

NAIROBI – South Sudan’s Patriots’ Resistance Movement (PRM) led by General Laraka Machar has welcomed Kenya’s mediation role in South Sudan’s peace negotiations, describing it as the only way to achieve stability in the country.

Last year, President Salva Kiir, through the Minister of Presidential Affairs Bangasi Joseph Bakasoro, requested his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto to mediate between the government and the non-signatories to the 2018 peace accord.

Talks mediated by the Rome-based Sant’Egidio Community were adjourned in March last year after the South Sudan government and the Non-Signatories South Sudanese Opposition Group (NSSSOG) disagreed on the agenda of the talks.

In an interview with Sudans Post on Wednesday, Laraka who was the head of the military before parting ways with General Simon Gatwech Dual’s SPLA-IO Kitgwang last year, said the talks in Kenya should be inclusive to achieve permanent peace in the country.

“We in the PRM made our stand crystal clear on the Kenya-led mediation on the 30^th of December 2023, and we believe we share this with many opposition figures that the only way to achieve peace in South Sudan is to ensure inclusiveness in national issues including peace negotiations among others,” he explained.

The opposition leader, however, said they have not received any notification. “But we are ready to engage in the negotiations when the time comes,” he said.

Regarding the revitalized peace agreement, Laraka said the 2018 accord only froze the conflict in South Sudan, instead of providing a permanent solution.

“I think both armed parties should sit down and apply Modus Vivendi beyond the shackles of the revitalized agreement – a prospect of ending the conflict between the two once and for all,” he said during the interview.

Laraka said his group plans to introduce a federal democratic, constitutional form of government in which people of South Sudan can freely make choices.

“Our vision is such a rare one which is coupled with offering optimum form of governance suiting to the ways of life for our people and be transparent in nature of handling of resources for the benefit of the current and future generations, putting in mind the contemporary levels in which the world stands, and probably avoid vices which ruined nations from thriving such as corruption, injustice and tribalism,” he stressed.

He described Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual as someone who lacks direction.

“Gen. Simon Gatwech has no one particular direction, today he is a fighter, tomorrow is another thing. He is unpredictable and it is hard to achieve anything under his leadership,” he said.

“The year I spent as his Chief of General Staff was marked with suspicion and frequent interference in the affairs of the army,” he remarked.

He further said national reconciliation offers a better alternative for South Sudan than elections earmarked to be held after the transitional period.

“Make peace with the parties currently holding guns, reconcile and heal the people of South Sudan from wounds of conflict, provide them with services that they have long been lacking, from infrastructure, health, education, technology, and security, and then think of elections and democratization,” he explained.