SPLM-Juba chairman Salva Kiir left Juba for the Tanzanian city Arusha to meet his rival Riek Machar after a week-long SPLM summit of the party’s three main factions.
Kiir’s SPLM-Juba, Machar’s SPLM-IO, and the SPLM-G10 have been meeting since 12 October in an intraparty dialogue hosted by Tanzanian ruling party CCM.
The party fractured in December 2013, leading to an ongoing civil war that has killed thousands and displaced nearly two million people.
Speaking to the press before the trip to Arusha, Awen Riek, minister in the office of the president, said the crisis began within the party so it must be solved within the party.
“This morning the president of republic will go to Arusha, Tanzania, on the meeting of intraparty dialogues that was initiated by the ruling party of Tanzania in order to bring all the factions of the mother SPLM as one unit,” Awen said.
Awen said that Kiir will meet Machar in a search for peace.
However, Luka Biong, a member of the SPLM National Liberation Council, told Radio Tamazuj that Kiir and Machar are not expected to sign any documents.
He said their meeting will only reach an agreement on an agenda that will be a guiding principle for dialogue within the party.
Leading South Sudanese activist Edmund Yakani of the Community for Empowerment and Progress Organization (CEPO) welcomed the SPLM interparty dialogue and said it is a positive move from Tanzania’s government.
“CEPO feels this is a great opportunity to sort out the SPLM internal democracy challenges,” Yakani said. “Our politicians learned the value of non-violence that Tanzanians have in administering political affairs.”
Radio Tamazuj Photo: President Salva Kiir leaves Juba airport for Arusha, Tanzania to meet Riek Machar