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JUBA - 5 Jun 2017

Taban Deng urges UN Security Council to desist from talking to Machar

File photo: South Sudan's First Vice President Taban Deng Gai, speaks to the media after being sworn in, Tuesday, 26 July, 2016/AP
File photo: South Sudan's First Vice President Taban Deng Gai, speaks to the media after being sworn in, Tuesday, 26 July, 2016/AP

South Sudan’s First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai has urged the UN Security Council, African Union and the East African regional bloc IGAD to desist from communicating to rebel chief Riek Machar.

In a letter dated 1 June, Gai claimed that Machar was using the UN Security Council to legitimize the brutal and bloody policy of incitement and tribal agenda to continue waging war in the country.

Gai, who leads a faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In-Opposition, further said the policy of incitement continues to displace citizens and prolong the suffering of the people in South Sudan.

"Such brutal and sadistic behaviour of Riek Machar must be condemned in the strongest terms possible. He should have not been allowed to use a noble forum such as the UN Security council to preach his outdated and unfounded claims against the president of the republic of South Sudan and the Transitional Government of national Unity,” partly reads the letter addressed to the UN Security Council.

“Engagement of the UN Security Council with Riek Machar is tantamount to an insult to the misery and lost lives of innocent people who are victims of the barbaric acts of Riek Machar and his criminals,” said Gai.

He accused Machar if using the blood of Nuer community to attain power, stressing that this cannot be tolerated anymore.

The leader of the SPLM-IO faction in South Sudan’s government pointed out that Machar’s engagement with the world leaders frustrates the efforts aimed at restoring peace and security in the country.