Kiir, Machar to meet on Thursday in ‘last’ attempt to settle Olony, local gov’ts deadlocks

JUBA – South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, and his first deputy, Dr. Riek Machar, will meet, this week, in what a senior opposition official said would be a last attempt to resolve the dispute over Upper Nile state gubernatorial nominee, General Johnson Olony, and that of local governments.

“This week, specially on Thursday, President Salva Kiir Mayardit and the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny will meet at the State House to resolve for the last attempt to resolve the deadlock over the governor of Upper Nile state,” a senior opposition official told Sudans Post from Juba this morning.

“The two principals will also discuss the allocation of local governments between the parties which is delaying the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement,” the official who refused to be named said.

Olony, a powerful opposition commander was nominated in June by Machar to as governor of the oil-rich Upper Nile state. However, President Kiir rejected his nomination and asked Machar who is also the leader of the SPLM-IO to nominate another individual because, according to him, Olony is a war monger.

Machar refused to nominate another person and has sine maintained that Olony is the sole opposition governor for the state.

Other disputes such as on the allocation of the counties have also remained unresolved as parties battle for control of key counties.