(JW) – The SPLM/A-IO has declared that the 2018 revitalized peace agreement has effectively collapsed and called on its members to take up arms against the government.
The group said it held a virtual meeting Monday to deliberate on the recent suspension and indictment of its leader Dr. Riek Machar on serious charges following the conclusion of a government-led investigation into Nasir incident.
The meeting rejected and condemned Machar’s suspension as contrary to articles on the composition, structure and allocation of ministerial dockets in the R-TGoNU.
The statement said the suspension of Machar is a grave violation of the agreement, which effectively brings the implementation of political and security provisions of the R-ARCSS to a complete stop.
“In light of this unfortunate development, the SPLM/A-IO resolves that the government has collapsed, its structure and mandate has been destroyed, its legitimacy ended,” noted the document.
“The current regime in South Sudan is not based on the R-ARCSS. It is a setup of dictatorship, peace spoilers, and state capture that is holding power illegally and by violence.”
“As such, the SPLM/A-IO shall work to effect in the Republic of South Sudan a regime change and a new political dispensation of peace, justice, equality, democracy, rule of law and development.”
On September 11, President Salva Kiir suspended Machar and Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol from office to allow the legal proceedings against them.
This followed the conclusion of an investigation on the fighting in Nasir County, which indicted the SPLM-IO leader on serious charges of murder, treason and crimes against humanity.