By William Madouk
A splinter group of South Sudan United Front/Army – Nairobi Declaration, allied to Gen. Dickson Gatluak, has abandoned the ‘Homegrown’ peace initiative, citing lack of commitment and reluctance from the Juba administration.
Gen. Gatluak, a former comrade of Gen. Paul Malong Awan, returned to Juba in June last year, receiving a warm welcome from SPLM’s Secretary for External Affairs, Bol Makueng, as they rejoined the peace process.
However, in a press statement obtained by this outlet, Nhial Dojiok Doap, Chief Negotiator for the SSUF/A-ND, announced their decision to withdraw from the ‘Homegrown initiative’ due to its inadequate implementation.
“This serves to inform the public that the South Sudan United Front/Army – Nairobi Declaration…decided to pull out from the proposed and agreed modalities of the “home-grown peace initiative” process with the government of South Sudan agreed upon on January 28, 2023, in Nairobi, Kenya,” said Doap.
“This is because the government has not honoured its commitments and has remained reluctant to implement the proposed homegrown peace agreement,” he added.
The chief negotiator claimed since they jetted to Juba there has been no engagement between SSUF/A- ND and the government, which clearly explains the government’s shortcomings.
“Since we arrived in Juba on Monday, 12 June 2023, there is no official meeting between SSUF/A-ND, and the government has been scheduled so far,” he noted.
“Poor working relations between SSUF/A- ND and the government indicate that the government is neglecting the demands raised by the movement,” he stressed.
Mr. Doap said their delegation was not given political, or accorded no freedom of expression and movement and worst still restricted from travelling even on medical grounds.
“National Security confiscated the passport of a senior SSUF/A-ND member on October 3 and returned it on 5 December 2023, denying him permission to travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,” he claimed.
“Daily threats and intimidations have been issued to our delegates, including the threat of arrest if they resist or travel without any approval from the security,” chief negotiator alleged.
SSUF/A-ND claimed that senior officers were briefly detained on December 30, 2023, at sector four in Juba.
In addition, the breakaway faction urged that their plea for the release of SSUF/A’s field commander Lt. Col James Chierey Geek, who he said was nabbed at Ruathlual village fell on deaf ears.
“Furthermore, we decry the behaviour launched against our delegation in Juba and categorically declare our full withdrawal from the home-grown peace initiative as it has been dishonoured by the government of South Sudan,” the group echoed.