Dr. Riek Machar[left], First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, and the leader of the SPLM/SPLA (IO) met in his office with SPLM (IG) interim Secretary General, Peter Lam Both - Credit| Office of the FVP - Tuesday 29th March 2022

President Salva Kiir on Tuesday delegated SPLM acting Secretary General to meet his first deputy Dr. Riek Machar to assure him on the implementation of the peace agreement.

This comes after the main armed opposition SPLM-IO led by First Vice President Machar withdrew from security mechanisms meeting over alleged attacks by the SSPDF in Unity and Upper Nile states.

Other issues include the deployment of troops on Sunday night that sparked tensions and panic in Juba with speculations that First Vice President Machar was being put under house arrest by President Kiir.

Last evening, Peter Lam Both, the acting secretary general of the SPLM met with First Vice President Machar to convey a message from President Salva Kiir Mayardit regarding the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement.

Speaking to reporters following the meeting Peter Lam said he was delegated by the president to convey a message of goodwill and assurances of the president to the full implementation of the agreement.

“I was sent by his Excellency the president and the chairman of the SPLM to send his good wishes and good will, to his deputy and assure him of peace and stability in our country,” said Lam Both.

“The SPLM and the SPLM-IO must work together to ensure that peace prevails in our country and whatever security measures that were there were taken in the interest of the people of South Sudan.

“There were people who were writing things that there was a problem in Juba and so security had to be beefed up but now since things are normal and stable, all is well. The first vice president would like to know, since he didn’t know that there was something that was going on.”

Lam added that there is no need for an alarm as President Kiir and Dr. Riek are working together to ensure the peace accord is implemented in letter and spirit.

“In our meeting the First Vice President also committed himself to the peaceful implementation of the peace agreement and he will never take the people of South Sudan back to war,” said SPLM acting Secretary General.

“The same message the president sent yesterday and that is an assurance to all the people of South Sudan that the leaders of this country will not take us back to war and that is an important thing,”

“The president had some other messages that I communicated to the First Vice President and he is very happy to receive those messages and the two have committed themselves to harmonious their position on the issues of the command structure of the organized forces. Once the team from Khartoum comes back, those discussions will continue.

“He [Dr. Riek] is also working on how the members of the SPLM.IO in the security mechanism can return so that peace can continue to be implemented. There is no reason for an alarm in the country, our leaders are working together.”