The SPLM-IO is planning to dispatch an advance team to Bentiu town once the number of states in South Sudan has been decided, according to Robert Ruai Kuol, opposition-appointed governor of Unity State.
Addressing a crowd of citizens in Juba over the weekend during prayers for late Chief of Leer County, Kuol said the SPLM-IO advance team’s mission aims to send peace messages to the internally displaced people in the area, and said the opposition will introduce its reform agenda to the locals.
Kuol urged SPLM-IO officials in Upper and Jonglei states to take care of war victims in South Sudan.
“My message goes to all of you the Nuers who are here, and especially to my colleagues in the SPLM-IO who will be appointed to serve in Malakal and the one who will be appointed as the deputy governor for Jonglei and I myself who will be appointed to Bentiu — please let us pay much attention to the orphans” said Kuol.
Kuong Dak, an SPLM-IO official and parliamentarian representing Leer County in the National Legislative Assembly, stressed forgiveness among the people of South Sudan.
“We must forgive the other tribes, we must forgive the Dinka, and we will only look at someone who is planning an evil activity” Dak said. “I think those who are planning for war will not do it because we have all come to Juba, and nobody doesn’t want peace”.
At the same time, Dak called for the prosecution of people involved in extrajudicial killings against innocent civilians.
“We must forgive each other, we the people of Bentiu. When there is fighting, not all men take part in it, even the preparation to take revenge some people sometimes retreat. So after coming back, we have no problem with those who did not smear their hands with the blood of our people,” said Dak.