Sudantribune.com: South Sudan’s Kiir cancels ruling party’s meeting amid reports of political infighting

December 11, 2015 (JUBA) - South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir, also the country’s ruling Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) party has unexpectedly called off the party’s widely-publicised meeting initially scheduled for Juba this weekend, his office announced Friday.

South Sudanese president Salva Kiir (Photo: Reuters)

The presidential spokesperson, Ateny Wek Ateny told the United Nations-sponsored Radio Miraya Friday that the meeting has been postponed "until further notice".

This meeting cancellation comes amid reports suggesting party officials were sharply divided over the agenda of the meeting and selection of the members, who should participate at the conference meant to debate plans and pass basic party documents.

However, several senior party officials told Sudan Tribune the meeting may have been cancelled to give room for more consultations and build confidence so as to allay fears that division over participation could cause another split and violence in the country.

“The cancelation of the meeting was necessary because there were unfounded rumours and speculations which became a concern as they were causing tensions and fears among the leaders and members of the SPLM that certain group of people were not going to attend and participate in the meeting because they themselves or their supporters were not elected to the national liberation council or had the opportunity to attend the convention and so they fear they may not attend the convention”, a source who was part of the committee organizing the meeting, disclosed on Friday.

He further observed that there were fears within the SPLM leadership that there were those who believed the convention was an opportunity to make changes within the party.

"There were also unfounded fears that certain decisions were going to be made, which is totally wrong. The convention was not going to make any other fundamental changes to the current leadership,” the official, who asked not to be identified, told Sudan Tribune.

“It was specifically meant to allow members come together to hold deliberations to pass our basic condemns and to confirm comrade Salva Kiir, president of the republic as our leader and to continue to remain in office as the chairman until such time when all the leadership is ready to convene another convention”, he added.

Another senior SPLM official attributed the meeting cancellation to logistical and financial challenges as well as differences between party members over whether key provisions of the Arusha Reunification Agreement were going to be incorporated in the basic documents or pass previously approved documents by the faction allied to president Kiir in 2013, without changes as the official document and ignore the Arusha deal.

The dispute has allegedly pitted a group comprising of the Jieng council of elders, senior military figures and junior party of officials, who are pushing Paul Malong Awan, the chief of South Sudan army (SPLA), to enter a political race against the incumbent vice president, James Wani Igga, defence minister, Kuol Manyang Juuk, former foreign affairs minister and government’s lead negotiator for peace talks with armed opposition, Nhial Deng Nhial, among other senior party members.