South Sudan’s government has denied a report that Vice President James Wani Igga said members of SPLM-in-Opposition should not be allocated seats in the proposed interim government, which the country’s president and top rebel leader recently agreed should be formed by mid-August.
A report published by Sudan Tribune website quoted the vice president as saying it would be ‘unwise’ for the government to share power with rebels, arguing that it could spur more rebellions in the country.
On Wednesday, speaking at Juba Airport upon the arrival of Vice President James Wani Igga from Uganda, Deng Deng Yai, Minister of Environment said the details of the agreement on the interim government will be agreed by the negotiators in the upcoming talks in Addis Ababa.
“We noted that Sudan Tribune misrepresented the statement made by the Vice President on the interim government at the South Sudanese community meeting in Kampala on Saturday, 14th June,” he said.
“This is a lie and it is not true – what the Vice President had said is recorded by video and will be played for the consumption of everybody who want to know the truth,” Deng told reporters at the airport.
Deng noted, “On the issue of the interim government, the VP Igga said President Salva Kiir shall remain in his position as the President of the Republic of South Sudan because he was elected by the people of South Sudan, therefore he can’t be replaced by someone who returned from the bush.”
He added that the vice president told the South Sudanese communities that the government can only be enlarged such that the rebels can be given positions in the government.
Deng pointed out that the vice president also met with both the President of Ugandan Yoweri Museveni and his vice president, briefing them on plans for upcoming dialogue on peace and reconciliation.
He further emphasized that the aim of the visit to Uganda was to brief the South Sudanese community on the peace talks and the national dialogue and urge them to select their representatives to participant in the conference.
Deng said vice president will also visit other East African countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt to brief South Sudanese communities in preparation for the coming national dialogue on peace and reconciliation.
Gallery 1: Vice President James Wani Igga steps down from the airplane returning him from Kampala, Uganda
Gallery 2: Igga (left) accompanied by Cabinet Minister Martin Elia Lomuro (right)
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