South Sudan’s Vice-president James Wani Igga met Thursday with representatives of SPLM-IO and SPLM-G10 also known as the “Former Detainees” in the capital Juba.
David Mayen Ayarbior, the spokesman of the vice-president, told Radio Tamazuj that Igga met with the SPLM-G10 member Deng Alor and an SPLM-IO member idenitifed as Gabriel in Juba where they discussed confidentially the return of more opposition members to Juba soon.
The spokesman said that the government asked the armed opposition to classify its advance team so the necessary arrangements for protocol and reception can be completed. David Mayan said the meeting was the first of its kind between the warring SPLM factions in Juba since conflict erupted in December 2013.
He explained that the meeting focused on the importance of trust between the warring parties to implement the peace agreement. He added that James Wani Igga stressed the need to prioritize peace over anything else.
For his part, Manawa Peter Gatkuoth, the SPLM-IO deputy head of information and public relations praised the government for welcoming two of their members in Juba. He pointed out that the move is a positive step toward the implementation of the signed peace agreement.
However, he accused some government officials in Juba of obstructing the implementation phase because it affects their interests and positions. Manawa reiterated his armed group’s commitment to the implementation of the peace. He confirmed their advance team will come to Juba in the coming days.
African Union photo of the meeting, 3 December 2015