A meeting of the High-Level Standing Committee for the Implementation of the 2018 Peace Agreement, a body comprising parties to the accord, recognized and endorsed the interim leadership of the SPLM-IO led by Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol. The move came despite a directive from SPLM-IO Deputy Chairman Oyet Nathaniel suspending Kuol from the party.
It remains unclear whether the peace monitoring body, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), and other key stakeholders in South Sudan’s peace agreement—signed by President Salva Kiir and detained First Vice President Riek Machar—will support the decision. Political and security tensions have risen since Dr. Machar’s detention on March 26 by President Kiir.
Kuol, a senior SPLM-IO official, was briefly arrested on March 6 before being released. The reasons for his immediate release remain unclear, though many of his colleagues, including the petroleum minister, remain in custody.
The peace committee’s decision follows a recent announcement by Kiir’s faction in the transitional government that it would proceed with implementing the peace deal without Machar, who has been under house arrest since March 26 following violent clashes in Nasir, Upper Nile State.
Kiir’s officials have hinted at backing Kuol to replace Machar while also stating that Machar could face trial if an ongoing investigation finds him guilty.
Last month, a group of SPLM-IO officials declared Kuol interim chairman after Dr. Machar’s arrest. Several senior party members boycotted the meeting in protest.
The move to replace Machar has been fiercely opposed by the SPLM-IO’s armed wing, which remains loyal to him.
Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro, cabinet affairs minister and secretary of the High-Level Committee, said on Thursday that Kuol’s faction now has “full rights” to nominate members to peace mechanisms to advance the implementation of the peace agreement.
“They now have full rights to fill gaps in the High-Level Committee or any mechanism,” he said. “We urge all parties to the agreement to refrain from making statements that contradict the fact that the agreement is alive and active.”
Dr. Elia, a key ally of President Kiir, said the committee agreed to advance the peace deal and accelerate election plans, as outlined in an April 26 government response to the crisis. He appealed to South Sudanese and the international community to recognize that “the peace agreement is alive, active and is being implemented.”
For his part, Stephen Par Kuol, the interim SPLM-IO chairman, confirmed his group’s recognition by the High-Level Committee, which comprises parties to the peace agreement, including the ruling SPLM.
“The SPLM-IO interim leadership was unanimously recognized by the committee, which comprises all parties to the peace agreement,” he said. “They recognized us as the legitimate representative of the SPLM-IO as a party to the peace agreement, and we are grateful for that.”
Meanwhile, Michael Ayuen, a representative of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), confirmed the recognition of Mr. Kuol’s leadership and reaffirmed the coalition’s commitment to the peace deal. He denied reports of a split within the SSOA, saying the group remains united under Vice President Josephine Lagu.