South Sudan Opposition Alliance or SSOA has rejected the new agreement on states allocation reached between President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar on Wednesday.
In a statement issued on Thursday, SSOA stressed that it does not recognize the new formula for the allocation of states because it was not consulted.
Gale Julius Dada has more in the following report.
On Wednesday, President Salva Kiir and First Vice president Riek Machar agreed to divide the country’s 10 states, ending months of standoff in the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.
Under the arrangement, President Kiir will take control of Six states including; Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Lakes, Warrap, Northern Bahr El Gazal and Unity.
Machar’s group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition or SPLM-IO was given Western Equatoria, Western Bahr El Gazal and Upper Nile states.
Meanwhile Jonglei state was transferred from the control of the SPLM-IO to the South Sudan Opposition.
However, SSOA Chairperson, who is also the minister of Agriculture Josephine Lagu says her group rejects the new arrangement to give Upper Nile state to the SPLM-IO.
Josephine says they still stand with the May 7th resolution of the presidency, which allocated Upper Nile state to SSOA.
The May 7th resolution was earlier rejected by Machar and his group, leading to stalemate in appointment of state governors.
Signatories to the 2018 pact were expected to establish state governments together with the transitional government of national unity in February, but the process was delayed after the parties disagreed on how to share the ten states.