Cabinet Minister Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro speaks to the media in Juba. (Photo: Office of the President/Facebook).

JUBA, (Eye Radio) – The High-Level Standing Committee (HLSC) of the unity government has officially recognized the SPLM-IO-Juba faction under Stephen Par Kuol as the legitimate group to continue the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.

The recognition followed a meeting of alleged representatives of the peace parties in Juba on Thursday, according to a government press statement.

Cabinet Affairs Minister Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro said the recognition of the SPLM-IO-Juba splinter group is aimed to move the peace process forward and ensure that the country holds elections in 2026.

Dr. Lomuro said the legitimization of Par Kuol’s camp grants it the right to nominate new members for the HLSC and other relevant organs of the agreement to fill the gaps.

“Having heard the explanation of the representative of the SPLM-IO, Hon. Stephen Par Kuol, the High Level Standing Committee decided to recognize the legitimacy and legality of the interim administration of the SPLM-IO and with that now it has the right to nominate new members to fill in gaps in the High Level Committee or any other organ of the agreement,” Lomuro said.

The committee also resolved a new replacement for the vacant position of South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) in the peace oversight committee and directed Vice President Josephine Lagu to nominate a replacement.

“We also discussed one or two issues relating to the position of Vice President having become vacant in the High-Level Standing Committee and we also have made the decision on that in that the vice president will now send in a new replacement.”

The development comes days after the SPLM–IO led by Acting Chairman Oyet Nathaniel wrote to the African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, reiterating his group’s rejection of an alleged attempt in Juba to alter the structure of the transitional government.

Self-exiled Oyet denounced the detention of several officials from his party and what he called ongoing systematic violations threatening to derail the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement.

He pointed to the removal of governors from Upper Nile State and Western Equatoria, as well as the national Minister of Health, all of whom are SPLM-IO members.

– ‘Agreement alive and active’ –

On his part, Stephen Par Kuol expressed gratitude to the committee for legalizing his group, and termed the peace agreement as “alive and active”.

“All these other parties, the RTGoNU, the SSOA, the OPP, all of them unanimously resolved to endorse us and recognize us as the legitimate representative of the SPLM-ILO as a party to the R-ACRSS.”

“We thank them so much and we communicate this again to the international community especially the diplomatic corps of Juba that the parties to R-ACRSS who are participating in the RTGoNU are working together to ensure that the agreement is implemented in the spirit and letter any violation or any other hiccups that has come to pass will be rectified accordingly.

He called on all institutions involved in the agreement, including the R-JMEC to refrain from issuing what he called statements that contradict the ongoing progress.

Further, the committee urged all parties to continue cooperating towards the common goal of ensuring peace and stability in South Sudan.

SPLM-IO Acting chairperson, Stephen Par Kuol reaffirmed the SPLM-IO’s commitment to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure the peace agreement is fully implemented.

He said that the group is prepared to replace her membership within the High-Level Committee once communication is made from the committee’s leadership.

The meeting also addressed ongoing legal procedures regarding certain leadership changes within the SPLM-IO, but Kuol emphasized that the current leadership is fully committed to the implementation of the peace agreement.

The SPLM-IO which is the main signatories to the 2018 peace deal, is currently experiencing a serious internal split primarily driven by political crises sparked by renewed violence and the house arrest of its leader Dr. Riek Machar.

Hon. Oyet had pre-emptively suspended Stephen Par Kuol and members of his faction in April, accusing them of conspiring with President Salva Kiir’s government to replace Machar.

Par’s camp rejected the suspension as unconstitutional and unfounded, before installing him and others as the interim leadership, until the SPLM-IO leader is freed from detention.