UDF chief demands passport, inclusion of political parties at talks

The United Democratic Front (UDF) Party chairman demanded his passport back from SPLM-Juba security agents, who confiscated it at Juba Airport in June to prevent his travel to the Ethiopia peace talks.

The United Democratic Front (UDF) Party chairman demanded his passport back from SPLM-Juba security agents, who confiscated it at Juba Airport in June to prevent his travel to the Ethiopia peace talks.

“Nobody knows where is my passport,” Chairman Peter Abdurrahman Sule told a news conference in his party’s Juba offices. “I went at the airport on 4 June, I was told that they have orders that if you appear at the airport, me should be stop from travelling.”

He said security agents told him to go to Malual Ngor or security minister Obuto Mamur Mete to get the passport back.

“On 5 June I went to Obuto Mamur and I told what happened at the airport,” Sule continued. “He said he has no idea about it nor about my passport.”

Presence at the peace talks

Sule said UDF will continue to demand their presence at the peace talks because the two warring parties would not be able to make peace without other stakeholders.

“We believe that the solution to the problem of this country lies not in the division of the wealth and power between the SPLM-In Opposition and the SPLM-In Government, making them dictators in continuity and ad ’infinitum,” Sule added.

The UDF leader further complained that security agents prevented an IGAD mediation team from meeting with opposition political parties during a visit to Juba on 29 October.

The heads of the Political Parties Leadership Forum have been prevented from attending the talks by security agents.

Radio Tamazuj Photo: Peter Abdurrahman Sule, UDF chairman, speaks at a news conference in Juba 6 November 2014