The SPLM-IO faction allied to former First Vice President Riek Machar has accused the East African regional bloc IGAD of supporting the continuation of South Sudan’s civil war by accepting Kiir’s decree replacing Machar with Taban Deng Gai.
Manawa Peter Gatkuoth, spokesman of the SPLM-IO faction, told Radio Tamazuj yesterday that IGAD countries have failed to understand the nature of the ongoing conflict in South Sudan.
“IGAD is contributing to the killing of citizens in South Sudan, because there is war and ethnic cleansing going on,” he said. “IGAD relieves that the absence of Dr. Riek Machar will solve the problem in South Sudan, they are denying the fact that there is crisis in the country,” he added.
He explained that there will not be peace without addressing the root cause of the conflict in the country. Manawa stressed that the insecurity situation in South Sudan will also have a negative impact on the region.
Last week, a UN commission on human rights in South Sudan said a steady process of ethnic cleansing is underway in the country, involving massacres, starvation, gang rape and the destruction of villages.