Sudantribune.com: South Sudan delays formation of transitional government

February 19, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudanese government has announced that it will delay formation of a transitional government of national unity (TGoNU) which president Salva Kiir had earlier said would be formed by Friday this week.

South Sudanese information minister Michael Makuei Lueth attends a press conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 5 January 2014 (Photo: AP/Elias Asmara)

South Sudanese information and broadcasting minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, announced on Friday the change of the decision after attending regular cabinet meeting chaired by president Kiir.

Lueth, who is the official spokesman of the government, told reporters on Friday that the cabinet meeting resolved to delay the formation of the transitional unity government until after forces of the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) are deployed in Juba to allow the return of their leader, Riek Machar.

“The cabinet today has resolved to postpone the formation of transitional government of national unity. This is to allow the arrival of the SPLM-IO forces before the return of the first vice president, Riek Machar,” Lueth told reporters on Friday.

The decision of the cabinet meeting chaired by president Kiir, according to the minister, was taken in the interest of peace and in compliance with the desire of the peace partners and the citizens.

Earlier, opposition factions and the Joint Monitoring and Evaluations Commission (JMEC) urged President Kiir not to form the new government without participation of all the parties to the peace agreement they signed in August last year.

The other parties and JMEC however called on the relevant authorities to “expeditiously” implement the security arrangements including demilitarization of Juba and transportation of the opposition forces to the capital.

The cabinet, according to the government’s spokesperson, also passed a resolution condemning the Wednesday and Thursday attacks on protection of civilians camp housing internally displaced persons under the management of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in Malakal town.

“The cabinet condemns in the strongest terms possible and demands explanation from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan what happened. This is because until now we do not have clear information as to what happened,” he said.

He added that the cabinet would want to know whether the UNMISS was operating in conformity to responsibility to protect civilians in camps under its control.

Deadly violence involving Dinka, Shilluk and Nuer ethnic groups erupted on Wednesday and continued on Thursday inside the camp, with elements of the South Sudanese army (SPLA) accused of taking the side of the Dinka ethnic group against the members of Shilluk and Nuer communities.