The country’s main armed opposition group on Monday said 12 of its members were blocked from traveling to Panyigor in Twic East County of Jonglei State.
According to the SPLM-IO, local youth and community leaders, incited by members of the ruling party (SPLM) headed by President Salva Kiir, prevented their plane from landing at a local airport in Panyigor on Monday morning.
Armed youth, the opposition group claimed, were deployed at the local airport.
The Executive Director of CEPO, Edmund Yakani said preventing the SPLM-IO from landing at Panyigor was a violation of provisions on the 2018 peace deal.
He cited a March 12, 2024 incident in which the Nyirol County Commissioner James Bol Makuey who is also the SPLM county chairperson claimed armed forces allied to the opposition SPLM-IO burned SPLM T-shirts in Langkien town.
“Both incidences are violation of the presidency order dated 22nd October 2022 on directed to state Governors, Chief administrators and County commissioners on matter of embracing open civic and political space and violation of the state Governors 6th and 8th resolutions on respecting open civic and political space,” Yakani said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
He said such incidences involving parties to the peace agreement also violated the Bill of Rights articles on freedom of assembly, association and movement as well as provisions of the United Nations Convention on Political and Civil Rights.
The activist warned against attacks on civic and political space by both parties.
“He advised the leadership of the ruling party and the armed opposition to take the responsibility of disciplining their members at the state and county levels.
“Strong demonstration of political indiscipline and immaturity among some members of SPLM and SPLM-Io is posting threatening still for the country move towards gaining of durable or lasting political stability,” explained Yakani.
According to the activist, there are indications the December 2024 election could turn violent, owing to the level of provocations among the rival factions.
“The political temperature of the looming elections for December 2024 is getting high. There is already a clear indicator that electoral related violence among members of SPLM and SPLM-IO in some parts of the country is high,” he stressed.
The statement called for trust and confidence among the rival faction members.
It stressed that any attempt to restrict open civic and political space in the face of the looming elections could ignite violence in the East African country.
In recent years, however, tensions between the SPLM-IO and the ruling SPLM party has persisted, often hindering the implementation of the 2018 peace deal.
