SPLA-IO says Sudan conflict could paralyze South Sudan peace implementation

JUBA, APRIL 23, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan’s main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/SPLA-IO) led by First Vice President Riek Machar has expressed fears that the ongoing conflict in Sudan could paralyze the implementation of the revitalized peace deal.

Sudan last week plunged into a deadly conflict after the militia Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by deputy head of Transitional Sovereign Council Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Daglo attacked several army and government positions in the capital Khartoum and other towns in the states.

Since then, observers have expressed fears that the unfolding conflict in neighboring could negatively impact South Sudan where the parties have been trying to implement a peace agreement to which Sudan is an important guarantor.

In an interview with  Sudan Post on Sunday evening, SPLA-IO spokesman Col. Lam Paul Gabriel said that the situation in Sudan will likely have a negative impact on the implementation of the security arrangement provided for in South Sudan’s revitalized peace agreement.

“There is going to be what is called negative impact. The impact will be little bid negative or greatly negative on the implementation of the revitalized [Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan], specifically the security agreement,” he said.

The opposition mouthpiece went on to stress importance of the role Sudan has been playing in bringing the South Sudan parties together, especially during disagreements including those threatening collapse of the 2018 peace deal.

“Whenever we are stuck, we are not able to move forward, Sudan will always come in, being a guarantor to the agreement. Uganda is also a guarantor, but Uganda has been lagging a behind a little bid as far as interfering into the situation as the agreement  is concerned, but Sudan has been so active,” he said.

 

“Now that there is conflict in Sudan, so  that means technically we will be missing their contribution in the agreement and that is going to be so much challenging,” Col. Lam added.