MACHAR ‘WILL NOT BE SILENCED’ BECAUSE HE IS IN JUBA – SPOKESMAN

MACHAR ‘WILL NOT BE SILENCED’ BECAUSE HE IS IN JUBA – SPOKESMAN

25/03/2022

JUBA – South Sudan’s main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLA-IO) led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny has said that it won’t be silenced just because senior leadership of the group is in Juba.

This comes after the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) attacked several positions belonging to the group in both Upper Nile and Unity State sparking fears of collapse of the revitalized peace agreement.

In a statement, Col. Lam Paul Gabriel, the SPLA-IO spokesman, said his group is not willing to return back to the civil war unless in the case of bring permanent peace to the peace of South Sudan.

He said the Machar-led group will not however silenced because it went to Juba, saying ongoing attacks by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces on several positions of the main armed opposition group must stop.

“We may shade our blood but it will be for right reason (to bring peace for our civilians) however, we will never be silenced because we are in Juba. This aggression against our people must stop,” Gabriel said.

SPLA-IO on Monday suspended its participation in the peace implementation mechanisms including peace monitoring bodies such as R-JMEC and the CTSAMVM over the continued SSPDF attacks.

The United States, United Kingdom, and Norway have expressed their condemnation of the attacks on SPLA-IO bases saying the skirmishes in Upper Nile and Unity states threatens the revitalized peace agreement.

Source: Sudan Posts ©