The South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) has announced that it will meet next week to nominate its vice president-designate, in the run-up to the formation of a transitional government of national unity.
According to the September 2018 peace agreement, the transitional government was supposed to be formed in May but was delayed until November. The deal reinstates opposition leader Riek Machar as first vice president and four other vice presidents; two to be nominated by President Salva Kiir and two others from the political detainees and opposition alliance SSOA respectively.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday, SSOA chairperson Josephine Joseph Lagu said the heads of the coalitions’ affiliated parties will hold a meeting next week to choose who will represent the alliance as vice president in the transitional government.
She said SSOA supports the formation of a unity government as scheduled and any outstanding issues in the implementation of the agreement should be resolved within the period before November 12 or placed among the priorities of the transitional government.
"The agreement was very clear when we signed the six-month extension. There will be no further extension," she added.
The opposition official described the position held by the head of the National Democratic Movement (NDM) Lam Akol Ajawin also a member of the coalition, is a party position and does not represent the position of SSOA.
NDM Secretary-General Mahjoub Biel Turuk reiterated his party’s position saying unless the outstanding issues are resolved before the deadline; they will not be part of the unity government.
"If those files are resolved before November 12, we are ready to participate in the transitional government," he said.
Crucial steps in the peace agreement, such as creating a unified army and determining the number of states, still lag far behind schedule.