JUBA, July 21 (Xinhua) -- A South Sudanese researcher on Friday said the ongoing Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) reunification efforts in Uganda will help shore up the regional peace efforts to end the more than three years of conflict.
Augustino Ting Mayai of the Juba-based Sudd institute think tank told Xinhua in Juba on President Salva Kiir's trip to Kampala where he is expected to join other senior SPLM party figures led by the Secretary General Nunu Kumba and former political detainees (FDs) led by the exiled Pagan Amum to discuss with the Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni on the ongoing party reunification talks.
"It may be a great idea if the reunification efforts in Kampala could provide opportunity on cessation of hostilities. It is more of SPLM trying to seek solution to the problem," he revealed.
In January 2015 the SPLM, SPLM-IO and FD's under the mediation of Tanzania's ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) agreed to the Arusha reunification framework which seeks to bring unity to the SPLM and help end the violence.
However, Mayai disclosed that the initial efforts by ex-Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete and South African deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa seemed to have lost steam, hence Museveni taking over the initiative supported by the East African bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Heads of States to unite the ruling party factions in the aftermath of the bitter split in December, 2013.
"IGAD has a grip on the South Sudan peace process and Museveni is trying to shore up the IGAD peace efforts. There were a number of proposals on reunification put forward by South Africa and Tanzania. It is a good idea for the party to be cohesive, but what's immediately needed is to stop the fighting first," he added.
Former First Vice President Riek Machar, now exiled in South Africa leads the main faction of SPLA-IO hostile to the government, while his replacement Taban Deng Gai is leading the splinter SPLA-IO faction in the transitional unity government which is represented at the Kampala talks by Petroleum minister Ezekiel Lul Gatkuoth.
"If the intention is to reunify the party then all parties should participate people like Lam Akol, Bangasi Bakasoro and Machar," he said.
Former agriculture minister Akol and Bakasoro the former governor of Western Equatoria lead separate rebel movements opposed to President Kiir.
The key issues in the reunification talks center on internal party reforms and elections that include departure from voting by hands to secret ballot.
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 Machar to flee into exile.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions that have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.
