The South Sudanese government has dispatched a delegation of governors to East African countries to respond to a regional proposal seeking to create a new position of ‘first vice president’ in lieu of the earlier proposal of creating a prime minister.
SPLM-IO rebel leader Riek Machar would become first vice president under the terms of the proposal discussed at the last round of peace talks. The incumbent president and SPLM-Juba party leader Salva Kiir would remain in his position while the incumbent vice president James Wani Igga would remain also as a second vice president.
The two sides have not agreed on the powers to be given to each vice president, and governors of three Equatorian states have announced their opposition to the elevation of Machar to a rank senior to Wani Igga.
The six member delegation is headed by Central Equatoria State Governor Clement Wani Konga. The delegation comprises the caretaker governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal Kuel Aguer Kuel, Western Bahr el Ghazal Governor Rizik Hassan Zachariah, Upper Nile Governor Simon Kun Puoc, and Western and Eastern Equatoria governors Joseph Bangasi Bakosoro and Louise Lobong Lojore respectively.
The delegation left Juba on Monday for Nairobi, Kenya. The objective of the mission, according to Western Bahr el Ghazal governor, Rizik Hassan Zachariah, who spoke to reporters at Juba International Airport on departure, is to brief key heads of state in East Africa about plans and the desire of the government to bring peace in the country.
“Our mission as the delegation of the governors is first of all to go and meet key heads of state and governments to thank them on behalf of the people of South Sudan and to share with them the views of our people on the ground about the peace process,” said Rizig.
“One of the issues we will go and share with them is the issue of changing proposals unnecessarily. It seems to us and the majority of our people that mediators are not consistent when it comes to proposals. First they came up with the proposal of prime minister and now they brought up a new proposal seeking creation of the first vice president for Riek Machar, which is not right,” said the governor.
He said the delegation seeks to meet with the Kenyan president, Ethiopian prime minister and the Ugandan president as well as several key officials in the region and members of foreign offices in their countries who have a significant role in the conflict resolution.
File photo: Governor Clement Wani Konga