S. Sudan's dialogue team to meet exiled top opposition figures

Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-21 19:36:25|Editor: ying
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by Denis Elamu

JUBA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's national dialogue officials will soon reach out to the exiled top opposition figures in a bid to involve them in the peace round table talks they have been reluctant to join on condition of lacking inclusivity.

Abraham Awolich, the coordinator of the steering committee secretariat told Xinhua on Wednesday they will be traveling to South Africa, Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia to meet key opposition officials to involve them in the peace process launched December last year by President Salva Kiir.

The main opposition rebel group (SPLA-IO) allied to former first vice president Machar has been wary of joining the national dialogue in Juba following the violent renewed clash in 2016 that ousted its leader from the transitional unity government (TGoNU) weakening the August 2015 peace agreement to end the more than three years of violence.

"We are asking all groups to observe ceasefire as condition for joining the national dialogue," he added.

Akol, the former agriculture minister and Gen. Cirilo who served once as Deputy Chief of Logistics in the South Sudan army (SPLA) resigned earlier this year from the TGoNU alongside other senior officials and formed the National Democratic Movement (NDM) and National Salvation Front (NAS) groups respectively to topple President Salva Kiir.

"We will later on go to DR Congo to meet other (armed) groups if they are there. We are going to say to them that we have been commissioned by the South Sudanese people for them to join the national dialogue," he disclosed.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Kiir and his former deputy Machar led to fighting that pitted mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital forcing the rebel leader Machar to flee into exile.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 2 million from their homes, and forced more than 1.5 million to flee into neighbouring countries.

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