South Sudan’s former vice president and prominent opposition leader Riek Machar has welcomed the IGAD decision to allow the deployment of a regional protection force, a senior SPLM-IO official said.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj Sunday, SPLM-IO deputy head of information and public relations Manawa Peter Gatkuoth, said the opposition faction led by Riek Machar welcomes the decision taken at the IGAD summit to send a regional protection force to South Sudan.
Manawa pointed out that the IGAD meeting corroborated with their position to deploy foreign troops in South Sudan in an attempt to save the peace agreement.
“The SPLM-IO welcomes and supports the IGAD communiqué, it has also confirmed our position to save the peace agreement after the peace agreement had collapsed” said Manawa.
The opposition official indicated that the regional force will help in peace implementation if the two warring parties demonstrate political will.
Manawa called upon the East African regional bloc IGAD to accelerate the deployment of the regional protection in South Sudan.
Juba was rocked by several days of heavy fighting in early July between the government forces of President Salva Kiir and those loyal to former rebel chief Riek Machar, the latest upsurge in two-and-a-half years of civil war.
File photo: Riek Machar