South Sudan’s opposition alliance rejected IGAD's peace plan, citing the difficulties it would face to approve the new peace plan.
“The IGAD proposal is giving 90% of power to the SPLM party whether in the government or in the opposition. The other opposition will take something 10% only, so this is unacceptable,” Emmanuel Aban, a leading member of the opposition alliance told Radio Tamazuj from Addis Ababa.
Aban, who is also the spokesman of the National Democratic Movement led by Lam Akol, said the formulated peace plan by the regional mediation proposes giving more MPs to the current government in the transitional parliament.
“So this will not solve the problem in South Sudan. The IGAD draft document wants to maintain the status quo only,” he said.
“We have rejected the proposal, so we do not accept any provision in the bridge compromise presented by IGAD,” he added.
Aban said the regional bloc's proposal will not end to the ongoing conflict in South Sudan, pointing out that they demand for a lean government of technocrats.
The opposition official reiterated that there will be no peace between the government and the opposition without major reforms.
“We are not going to sign a peace agreement today. We would present our position to IGAD and I see the gap is still wider between the parties,” he said.