Members of the Political Parties Leadership Forum (PPLF) have blamed the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) for the current crisis in South Sudan.

This comes in a rally organized on Wednesday at Nyakuron Cultural Center in Juba. The key speakers included SPLM-DC Chairman Lam Akol Ajawin, Abdalla Deng Nhial of the Popular Congress Party, Ismail Suleiman of the Communist Party, and Kornelio Kon of the National United Democratic Forum.

Suleiman of the Communist Party said that the aspirations of the peoples of South Sudan have been dashed and turned to a mirage as a result of poor leadership.

“The ongoing conflict was a result of power struggle within the SPLM party, thus when power struggle arises there is no political program,” he said.

The war in South Sudan is primarily between two factions of the ruling SPLM party: the SPLM-Juba led by Salva Kiir and the SPLM-In Opposition led by Riek Machar.

The PPLF member said the ongoing peace talks in Bahir Dar in Ethiopia are other ways of power struggle.

Ismail pointed out that all the negotiators are now busy with who should govern the country as well as his constitutional powers.                   

The chairman of Popular Congress Party Abdullah Deng Nhial also cited power struggle as the real cause of conflict in the world’s youngest nation.

“Where are the SPLM banners calling for unity among the people of South Sudan?” he asked.

Still, Nhial expressed optimism about cohesion among the people of South Sudan during the current conflict and pointed out that bringing about peace is a collective responsibility of all people.

SPLM-DC leaderLam Akol said that peace is a priority of the political parties.

Akol, who led the PPLF until in Bahir Dar until he was blocked from returning to the peace talks by SPLM-Juba security agents in Juba, called for an immediate stoppage of war by the ruling party which he said instigator of the crisis.

Akol said the people of South Sudan have not yet reaped the fruits of their liberation struggle.

“The people of South Sudan deserve peace and stability,” he said.

Radio Tamazuj Photo: Leaders of Political Parties Leadership Forum during a press conference in Juba in June.