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LONDON - 28 Nov 2018

Opposition leader calls for renegotiation of the peace deal

Leader of the People’s Democratic Movement Hakim Dario (File photo)
Leader of the People’s Democratic Movement Hakim Dario (File photo)

A South Sudanese opposition leader, not a signatory to the revitalized peace deal is calling for the renegotiation of the peace deal to encompass all parties.

Main warring parties signed the Revitalised Agreement to Resolve the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) in September, while other parties declined saying the agreement does not address the root causes of the conflict in the country.

Dr. Hakim Dario, leader of the People's Democratic Movement, not a party to the agreement told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that his party will not sign or participate in the deal's implementation in its current form.

“We demand that the agreement is opened afresh for debate and negotiations with the government and all the opposition movements that signed this agreement," said Dario.

He said it is important to incorporate their proposals in the agreement for a comprehensive peace.

The opposition leader claimed that the peace deal only serves the interests of President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar, not the interests of the people of South Sudan.

"IGAD is part of the problem in the country because it is biased towards the government in Juba and its role is not neutral to achieve peace," he added.

In mid-November, the East African bloc of nations IGAD threatened to categorize as peace "spoilers" the holdout rebel groups that refused to join the peace deal in South Sudan while directing IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan Ismail Wais to reach out to any warring groups who are not signatories to the peace deal.

Other non-signatory rebel groups in South Sudan are the opposition National Salvation Front (NAS) led by Gen. Thomas Cirillo, the United Democratic Republic Alliance (UDRA) of Gatwech K. Thich, South Sudan National Movement for Change (SSNMC) led by Vakindi L. Unvu, and National Democratic Movement (NDM) led by Emanuel Aban.