SPLM-IO National Liberation Council’s 4th meeting underway in Juba

JUBA – South Sudan’s main opposition group, Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) has convened its fourth Liberation Council meeting in the country’s capital Juba on Thursday morning and was officiated by the group’s leader and the country’s First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny.

Being held under the theme “Towards Democratic, United and Prosperous South Sudan”, the three-day function will discuss the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement signed in 2018 as well as the reorganization of the main armed opposition group which has seen defections and splits in recent past..

The meeting has been attended by members of the National Liberation Council (NLC), members of SPLM-IO in the reconstituted national legislature, state chairpersons, deputy chairpersons and secretaries-general.

Addressing a three-day SPLM-IO convention this morning, Dr. Machar acknowledged the slow implementation of the security arrangement under chapter two of the peace agreement.

Dr. Machar who also doubles as commander in chief of the SPLM-IO said the security arrangement is key to sustaining the implementation of other provisions in the peace agreement

“Chapter two being the backbone of the agreement, even if we succeed information of any other structures without security arrangement, the process and new set up will be very shaky,” he said.

He said the lack of the graduation of unified forces is shaking the confidence of the parties and even the civil population.

He said progress is underway to establish institutions and a Hybrid Court enshrined a 2018 peace deal to try war crimes during more than six years of conflict

“Hybrid court which many people tried to shy away from. The process is supposed to be initiated by the government particularly the legislation for the establishment of a hybrid court and then after that, the African Union (AU) will establish it. The Ministry is initiating something, but has not yet come to light,” he said.

“As I said early, chapter 5 is a very important chapter because it deters people from committing crimes against humanity or war crimes and therefore, its implementation is as vital as the implementation of other chapters,” he added.

In February this year, the SPLM-IO conducted its first conference in the capital Juba which was attended by representatives from different party organizations.