SPLM-IO debunks claims it is part of decision extending transitional period

JUBA – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, led by the country’s First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, has debunked claims by President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s Press Secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny,  that it has agreed to extension of the transitional period through 2023.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ateny told Eye Radio that the parties to the revitalized peace agreement, including the SPLM-IO, have agreed to extend the transitional period from 2022 to 2023 to give time for implementation of the tasks that have not been implement on time.

“All of them [parties] by consensus have agreed that the end of the transition will be 2023 because the end of the 2022 and beginning of 2023, that is where the election will be run to achieve peace,” the presidential aide said, according to the Juba-based Eye Radio.

However, speaking to Sudans Post in an exclusive interview on Tuesday night, Puok Both Baluang, the SPLM-IO Director of Information and Public Relations denied the claims and said the main armed opposition group is not aware of where the presidential press secretary came up with the information on extension, saying Ateny does not represents the presidency.

“There are some media reports generated from the Eye Radio quoting Ateny Wek Ateny that the transitional period has been extended through 2023. In light of this, we would like to clarify that Ateny Wek Ateny is not the spokesperson of the presidency. He is a spokesperson of the president. Secondly whenever there is a meeting of the presidency, after each meeting there would be a press release or a communication send to the public with the signature of the minister in the office of the president, Hon. Nhial Deng Nhial or anyone who represent him such as Hon. Martin Elia Lomoro,” Baluang told Sudans Post.

“As such, there was no any press release or any communiqué regarding this issue. So, we would like to distance ourselves or say that we are not aware of where Ateny Wek come with this information and he will be responsible for this information because we are not aware of this information about the extension of transitional period,” Baluang added.

The senior opposition official however admitted that most provisions of the revitalized peace agreement have not been implement and said that the time that is remaining for the implementation of the agreement would be enough if the parties were to have the will to implement what had been agreed upon, saying any extension for the transitional period must first be agreed upon by the parties with involvement of the peace monitors and guarantors.

“We would like to acknowledge that the implementation of the agreement is moving slowly and a lot of chapters are due to be implemented. But we think that within the time that is being given, if there is a genuine will from the parties especially our partners in the agreement such as the former ITGNU, the period that is remaining now we can implement the agreement,” he said.

“Secondly I would like to mention that the several provisions of the agreement are behind schedule, from the formation of the states and the local governments and also the implementation of the security arrangement which is the backbone of the agreement itself.

“The extension of the transitional period needs discussion from all parties with recommendations from the peace mechanisms and the R-JMEC must be involved in this case as well as the security mechanism because the agreement is not all about the governance chapter, but all the chapters of the agreement and such decision must include the guarantors as well.”