South Sudan opposition party has cautioned President Salva Kiir’s government against threatening western countries, saying this could be the biggest risk for the young government to take.
Lam Akol, who leads Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC), the main opposition party in government, said it was unwise for South Sudan government to avoid addressing the real issues threatening cooperation in the country and opting to point fingers instead.
President Salva Kiir has in his numerous speeches criticized Western countries for carrying out sanctions against his plans to restore cooperation in South Sudan, saying he would do what he thought best for his government despite concerns from the West.
A section of his government also explained the government would not accept countries such as the United States of America, United Kingdom and Norway to ever participate in the mediation body that seeks to bring peace between the South Sudanese warring parties.
Speaking at a news conference in Juba, Akol called on South Sudan’s political parties and civil society organisations to come up with the roadmap towards ending the more than 15-month-long conflict in the country.
South Sudan has experienced some of the world’s deadly wars that started in December 2013 between supporters of Kiir and former vice president Riek Machar where thousands of people have been killed and more than a million fleeing their homes.
Kiir and Machar had agreed February on the outlines of a power-sharing deal, and they had hoped to reach a final accord by the end of March. But with Kiir receiving immense support in March to extend his presidential term, talks with Machar appear stalled, and fighting continues in Africa’s youngest nation.
