Pagan Amum, leader of the former detainees has defended their representation at the ongoing intra-South Sudanese talks as a separate entity, citing IGAD instructions.
“The SPLM-Former Detainees group has not pulled out of the opposition alliance. We are still committed to the charter of the opposition alliance. What happened is that IGAD invited the former detainees separately as one of the signatories of the 2015 peace agreement,” Pagan told Radio Tamazuj from Addis Ababa.
Pagan further said the IGAD mediation wanted the SPLM-FDs to be fully represented as a separate group according to the 2015 peace accord.
“That’s why we are here in accordance with the invitation. Those were arrangements made by IGAD,” he explained.
The top opposition official maintained that his group was still committed to membership of the South Sudan opposition alliance.
SPLM-FDs is a faction made up of senior SPLM party officials who were detained by President Kiir when the conflict began in December 2013.