Akec Tong Aleu, governor of Tonj State, one of the successor states of the now defunct Warrap State, described on Sunday a communiqué of the outcome of the meeting of IGAD foreign ministers seeking additional forces to be sent to South Sudan as part of new foreign strategy to change the government.
“The planners and the architects of this proposal are not for peace to come of South Sudan and I therefore urge our people to come out and support the leadership of our president and their government,” said Akec when reached on Sunday to say his opinion on the proposal.
Governor Akec argued that the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has enough forces to do what the additional force would do, asserting what was important was peace.
However, the UN Secretary-General has called for the force to “fortify” UNMISS, which lost two peacekeepers last week. The plan for more East African troops to deploy to Juba as part of UNMISS was also endorsed by IGAD and the African Union.
In part, the force will help prevent clashes like those that took place between SPLA and SPLA-IO recently in Juba, according to the IGAD and AU resolutions. They would form part of UNMISS, which has a mandate to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid by providing safe spaces to work from.
But the Tonj governor says “there is no need for more if the intention is not a new strategy to implement the regime change agenda.”
“On behalf of the people of Tonj State, I would like to take this interview as an opportunity to assure our leadership particularly President Salva Kiir that the people of Tonj State stand behind you and the decision of the government of the Republic of South Sudan,” said Akec.