Members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) have differed over President Salva Kiir’s administrative division of states in South Sudan, a senior opposition official said.

Ramadan Hassan Baku, SPLM official in charge of the federalism dossier, told Radio Tamazuj that the peace agreement was signed on the basis of 10 states only -- not 28, as decreed by President Salva Kiir.

Ramadan lashed out at some SPLM-IO members who said the number of states should be left to the transitional cabinet. He pointed that the transitional cabinet is only responsible for peace implementation.

The leading opposition member further said the SPLM-IO leadership bureau will never change its position on the matter whatsoever.

Separately, Baku pointed out that the opposition faction will not accept partial implementation of the signed peace agreement, referring to the government's refusal to recognize the presence of their forces in Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal.

He stressed that all rebels in the bush of South Sudan should be recognised. He added that the government’s move implies that it recognises the Nuer tribe only in the Upper Nile region.

The SPLM/A-In-Opposition is a national movement in South Sudan, according to Baku. He threatened that Equatorians will continue fighting for their rights if the government refuses to recognise them.

“When we went out, we were from different tribes, there are tribes from Equatoria and Western Bahr al Ghazal. So when we signed the peace agreement it was for all South Sudanese, not sons of Upper Nile only,” said Baku.