South Sudan political parties have mix reactions over the reunification of the SPLM announced on Monday this week.
The Secretary-General of the National Alliance says the SPLM reunification is just a political game because it is not inclusive.
Deng Bior Deng believes that the SPLM unity should be inclusive after First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai announced early this week his reunification to the SPLM in the government
‘If you ignore the FDs and you ignore Riek Machar then you have not made the unity of SPLM and you have not even made peace. Peace means these groups have to be brought on board including the other arm groups; they must be brought on board. So the unity which has been announced I look at it as a political game and it is not really a realistic and it cannot bring about peace,” he explans
The Secretary-General notes that the SPLM is the cause of the ongoing war in the country and it is time now for them to unite all its factions and bring peace in the country.
‘If we can revitalize this agreement and begin to implement it correctly then there will be peace in the country. Because there will be no other people fighting, there will be permanent cease fire and people will be working together. Other things to do with election will be resolved and things can go well. This is the way we look at it’
Francis Ben Ataba, who heads United Salvation Front mainstream, welcomes the reunification of the SPLM party.
He says the National Agenda Group will work with and support the leadership of the SPLM to achieve lasting peace in South Sudan.
‘As organized political parties we will work for the achievement of peace and incidentally very soon there are going to be talks taking place in Addis Ababa. We would be fully represented there and we would ensure that peace comes again to this country. We there here to ensure that the future for our children is guaranteed and that the refugees should come back as soon as the peace agreement is made’
Both Bior and Ataba call on the SPLM-IO led by Riek Machar, former political detainees led by Pagan Amum to sympathize with the suffering of citizens and work together for peace in the country.