A South Sudanese opposition leader on Friday expressed scepticism about the success of the national dialogue initiated by President Kiir, saying there were issues that need to be done before embarking on the process.

“I don’t think that the national dialogue will work. I don’t think it will achieve the objective for which it was launched because it does not address the core issues this country faces. It will be a waste of time,” said Joseph Wol Modesto, Secretary-General of the South Sudanese Communist Party.

 “We have said it before in our position paper from the time this dialogue was declared and launched. We numerated the issues which we see as the obstacles to a genuine, credible and inclusive dialogue,” he added.

Wol said in an interview with Radio Tamazuj on Friday that his party supports the concept of the national dialogue in principle. “In principle, we support and welcome the concept but in practice there are things which must be done to permit the conduct,” he said.

Modesto asked the government to end the war and release all political prisoners as part of the necessary confidence-building measures before the national dialogue. He also stressed the need to lift the state of emergency declared since 2013.

“Some of the issues which we raised in our position paper include, declaration of ceasefire, the need to lift the state of emergency so that people can be free, release of political detainees and wider consultations with all political forces so that their views and opinions provide the framework of the preparatory committee to set the agenda of the dialogue,” Wol explained.