http://cyberadal.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/dr-machar-meets-pagan-amum-ahead-of-talks-with-kiir/
ADDIS ABABA (9 May.)
Riek Machar, the head of the SPLM/A-in-Opposition, has met with the SPLM
‘Group of Eleven’ including Pagan Amum in Addis Ababa, ahead of his meeting
with South Sudanese president Salva Kiir.
This morning the rebel leader first met with his own negotiating team,
before meeting with the recently released detainees including by Pagan
Amum, former SPLM secretary-general, at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa.
A group of 11 political detainees was released by South Sudan’s government
in two groups, the first group of seven in late January – after which they
were sometimes referred to as the SPLM ‘Group of Seven’ or G7 – and another
group of four in April.
The meeting between Machar and the ex-detainees lasted for about a half
hour.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Pagan Amum said, “We cannot allow
this war to continue for long. We must make sure that this war is stopped
to rescue our country and our young state.”
“Our people and nation is divided by this war and being destroyed and
disintegrated by this war, with unleashing this hatred and tribal
animosities to proportions that never was experienced in South Sudan
before.”
Amum said they discussed with Machar how to end the war and bring peace to
South Sudan and transition the country toward “peace and democracy.”
“We have emerged from detention without bitterness, with a positive focus
to bring an end to this war, to work to bring peace back to our country,
and to bring democratic changes so that South Sudan is a stable state, so
that South Sudan is a free, peaceful, democratic and prosperous country,”
he added.
He said in spite of the “horrific” events since December, “Our dreams are
still alive” that the country will reunited and rebuild.
Amum mentioned the group was also looking forward to meeting President
Salva Kiir to urge him to end the war.
Machar is now staying at the Sheraton Hotel whereas Salva Kiir has not yet
arrived at the venue for the talks. It is expected that Machar may leave
the hotel for an afternoon meeting with Ethiopian Prime Minister
Hailemariam Desalegn, but as of 1:40 p.m. he was still at the hotel.
Ibrahim Suliman
Received on Fri May 09 2014 - 16:56:26 EDT