South Sudan: Opposition team leaves Juba as row escalates over peace process implementation

The advanced team of South Sudan’s opposition that had gone back to Juba as part of the peace agreement has now left for consultation with the leadership of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM/IO) as the row has escalated with the government over the creation of 28 states.The SPLM/IO said in a statement on Tuesday that the senior officials of the advanced team that had come to Juba to assess the implementation of the peace agreement has returned to the opposition headquarters in Pagak area on Tuesday.

"Our team which was led by our chief negotiator, General Taban Deng Gai, left Juba for consultations in Pagak as a collective leadership over the deadlock reached in the implementation of the peace agreement” the statement confirmed.

Last Monday, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir vowed that he will not revise his decision on the creation of 28 new states in the country despite the threats by the SPLM-IO that their leader, Riek Machar will not return to Juba if the decision is not cancelled.

For his part, Machar also stressed that he will not return to Juba unless President Salva Kiir cancels the 28 administrative districts he created unilaterally in October.