Three factions of South Sudan's SPLM party agreed in Kampala, Uganda on May 26, to set aside their differences and work out a roadmap to reunify the party.
Delegates from three factions of the party signed an agreement mediated by Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni, laying out important steps toward reunification of the fragmented party in war-torn South Sudan.
The party fractured in December 2013, leading to the ongoing civil war that has killed thousands and forced a large number of people to seek refugees in neighbouring countries.
Those who signed include the faction loyal to President Salva Kiir and the SPLM-IO breakaway group in Juba led by Taban Deng. But Pagan Amum, who leads a faction made up of party senior officials who were detained when the conflict began in December 2013, attended the meeting but declined to sign the document. The main armed opposition faction loyal to Riek Machar didn’t attend the meeting.
In the Kampala agreement, the signatories agreed — once again — to work towards a peaceful and united South Sudan.They also agreed that a working committee be formed and tasked to work out a roadmap for the implementation of the Arusha agreement.
In January 2015, SPLM factions including Machar’s group signed a deal in Tanzania meant to serve as a roadmap toward ending the conflict that has killed thousands of people, but very little progress was made towards the implementation of the reunification deal.