National Dialogue disowns anti-Kiir-Machar report

JUBA – South Sudan’s national dialogue has reversed – according to a statement by the peace body – a damning report that called for exclusion of President Salva Kiir Mayardit and main armed opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny from politics.

Last week, the final report of the National Dialogue was leaked amid disagreement between members of wording of some of its contents. The report said President Kiir and Machar who is also the first vice-president, should retire from politics “if South Sudan is to have a successful transition.”

Reacting to the report, President Kiir’s office rejected the outcome of the initiative that was ordered by President Salva Kiir Mayardit itself, saying the report is a regime change agenda by people it said do not have sense of the revitalized peace agreement.

In a statements during a press conference in Juba, the deputy rapporteur of the national dialogue, William Othwuon, said the report that was leaked was not final, saying the body would meet President Kiir to present the final report saying they are still deliberating on some of the terms.

“The national dialogue is still standing till we meet the president and we present our document to the president, so please any document which says its final report talking about the president to step aside, the national dialogue is distancing itself from this,” Othwuon said.

“This is not our document. It had been rejected and was put aside,” he added.

Mr. Othwuon said the report was discussed last Tuesday but due to its content, members of the steering committee disagreed over it, and therefore it was not submitted to the Office of the President.

“Up to today, we didn’t present anything to the president. We are preparing to present our final work to the president. The official document of the national dialogue will be presented to the president and another one is the communiqué. These two documents are here which have been approved by the national conference and they are available here at South Sudan Constitutional Review Commission,” he added.