The head of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) Riek Machar says he was surprised by the presidential decree last night appointing him First Vice President, referring to the timing of the move, but he has welcomed it as a step in the right direction.
President Salva Kiir’s move was anticipated by the peace deal signed last August but long delayed. A transitional government headed by rivals Kiir and Machar was supposed to have formed last November.
In an interview with BBC last night, Riek Machar said that he would take up his post as first vice president after further progress in implementation of the transitional security arrangements in Juba.
“The appointment is in the right direction. But in a way it was a surprise to me because what I expected was that Juba will first be demilitarized… However, I welcome the fact that the president has decided to appoint me at this time. It will move things faster,” he said.
South Sudan’s rival parties have agreed that only 3,420 government forces should remain in Juba while 1,410 SPLM/A-IO forces will be brought to Juba, including 350 to serve as Machar’s personal guard. Each side has also agreed to deploy 1,500 personnel in Juba as Joint Integrated Police.
Machar referred to this last night speaking to the BBC: “If the demilitarization that is supposed to take place in Juba is done and the troops are deployed including the Joint Integerated Police that will take over the security arrangements, I think we can implement the peace agreement.”
“Confidence will be built. Movement of goods, movement of people will resume and peace will be realized and stability will be maintained,” he added.
Asked about when he would return to Juba, Machar said, “If I get support in the implementation of the security arrangements, I think within three weeks I should be able to take my position and I am eager to ensure that peace returns to the country, political stability is maintained and the permanent ceasefire is respected, and I am confident we can do this.”
Today Vice President James Wani Igga, who will remain as one of two vice presidents, called on Machar to return to Juba, saying that a vice president cannot represent his country from abroad.
“You know as First Vice President or even a Vice President once appointed you cannot represent a country abroad. So the best is for him to come with his entire team,” said Igga.
Some observers have expresed concern at the possibility of clashes between bodyguards of Kiir and Machar should the the latter return to Juba, similar to the clashes that sparked the civil war in December 2013. The peace deal penned in August seeks to address this concern by setting up a joint operations center headed by national police and also supported by international military observers and peacekeepers to mitigate the risk of clashes in Juba.