A member of the SPLM National Liberation Council called upon leaders of South Sudan’s ruling party to apologize to the people of South Sudan for atrocities committed during the conflict.
Council member Luka Biong, who is also director of the Center for Peace and Development Studies at Juba University, told Radio Tamazuj that accountability for crimes and abuses committed by SPLM members against innocent civilians is necessary.
Biong was speaking about the meetings in Arusha, Tanzania, where the three factions of the SPLM–SPLM-Juba, SPLM-IO, and SPLM-G10–have been meeting in an intraparty dialogue.
Biong said the meetings, held 12-18 October and hosted by Tanzania’s ruling party CCM, could lead to an agreement that facilitates reunification of the divided party.
He said the root cause of the conflict is minor and that the Arusha meetings may lead to agreement on agendas at the national and party levels.
“There were differences on voting process whether it should be done secretly or openly – and the second problem was the appointment of 5% of SPLM members by the chairman of the party,” he said.
Biong advised the warring SPLM factions to come up with a new vision to manage South Sudan’s diversity efficiently to achieve democratisation.
He also urged the party to involve civil society organizations and other political parties to make sure that their voices are heard in setting the national agenda for the sake of peace and stability.
Possible Kiir-Machar meeting
Lastly, Biong hinted that SPLM-Juba leader Salva Kiir and SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar might meet in Arusha today at the closing meeting between the SPLM factions. Machar has already arrived in Tanzania.
However, Biong said both leaders are not expected to sign any documents, saying the ongoing meeting will only reach an agreement on the agenda that will be a guiding principle for dialogue within the party.
Biong commended what he termed as “bold decision” taken by Kiir and his former deputy Machar to emphasize dialogue within the party.