SPLM-IO warns ‘enemies of peace against using communities’ for political gains

JUBA – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, has warned other political forces in the country against use of ethnic communities for political gains, a day after Upper Nile state’s Padang community called for boycott of the Upper Nile conference initially due for Wednesday.

The SPLM-IO and the SPLM-IG are currently on a logger head over the appoint of General Johnson Olony Thabo who was nominated by the group’s Chairman, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, as the group’s gubernatorial nominee for Upper Nile state on June 24.

President Salva Kiir however rejected Olony’s appointment when he announced the names of the governor on June 29, saying the controversial opposition commander is a warmonger who he said would jeopardize reconciliatory efforts among the bitter Upper Nile state communities.

Machar and Kiir then agreed to conduct a meeting aimed at reconciling the Upper Nile state communities. In a statement on Monday, Machar said the meeting would take place on Wednesday, but that meeting was called off yesterday after an objection from Padang community.

In a statement on Wednesday morning, senior member of the SPLM-IO National Liberation Council, Dut Majokdit, warned parties to the revitalized peace agreement against the use of ethnic groups for political gains, saying it was the right time for the appointment of general Johnson Olony Thabo following the postponement of the Upper Nile conference.

“After the Upper Nile State Conference has been postponed, then it’s the right time for the agreement to take charge. This Conference has been manipulated before it’s officially kicked off to address the importance matters by the enemies of the revitalized peace agreement,” Majokdit said, without identifying those he terms the enemies of peace.

“This culture of using community as a tool to gain the political support in this country have to ceased. The politicians are politicians they should not become the community leaders to mess up the process,” he added, saying he “support the SPLM-IO decision for the appointment of General Johnson Olony as the Governor of Upper Nile State to address the internal issues in the State. I think overthrowing the Agreement and act out of the documents it’s Violations.”