The SPLM-Leaders faction of South Sudan’s now divided ruling party declined to act on an invitation to join the Independence Day ceremonies yesterday, according to the SPLM/A-Juba faction leader Salva Kiir.

SPLM-Leaders, earlier referred to as SPLM-G11 or ‘Former Detainees’, is led by a group of ex-ministers and other officials who were jailed on orders of SPLM Chairman Salva Kiir in December.

Some were released in late January and others in April. Now the group is primarily active in regional capitals Nairobi and Addis Ababa.

The group declined to attend the Independence Day ceremonies held yesterday in Juba, in spite of having been invited by Salva Kiir.

Salva Kiir stated in his speech at the event: “When I went to Addis Ababa in June, I spoke with the group of Pagan Amum, Deng Alor, John Luk and Kosti Manibi. And we agreed that they will come here. And that they were coming to attend these celebrations with us.”

“Of course, something must have gone wrong, which might have not allowed them to come. But I still believe that they will come, and I still call upon them that let them forget about whatever grievances that they have and let them come so that we join ourselves,” he said.

The SPLM-Juba leader proceeded to invite the SPLM-Leaders group to help him in tackling the problem of Abyei, a disputed border territory. The issue is a key concern of Deng Alor, one of the SPLM-Leaders hailing from the area. 

“We have so many problems that we have not done [i.e., faced]. And these problems cannot be left to one person. When people go away far like that and say ‘Ah, what is he doing now?’ The problem of Abyei is not my problem alone that can be left to me so that I solve it. Let them come back so that we come and solve it,” said Kiir.

“Abyei is a political problem, which we are going to resolve with the Republic of Sudan – by peaceful means, it is not something that people should go to war again after this. So that is the work of all of us.”

Seeking to avoid a row with Khartoum, Kiir’s government last October declined to recognize a unilateral referendum carried out by the Ngok Dinka community in Abyei, a process supported by Deng Alor and Pagan Amum.

Photo: Cirino Hiteng (L), Gier Chuang (C), and Deng Alor Kuol (R), 13 February 2014 (Tiksa Negeri/Reuters)

Related:

Factbox: Factions of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (21 June)

Kiir invites back to Juba politicians he jailed (14 Jun.)

Full text: SPLM 'third party' joins Addis talks (15 Feb.)

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