Courtesy - of - en.wikipedia.org

The SPLM says members of the Political Bureau will hold a consultative meeting with the group of the former political detainees in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa next week.

The SPLM Secretary for External Affairs, Suzan Jambo, told Eye Radio’s Dawn Show that a team is already prepared to start the meeting in Addis.

She said, “We selected a number of our members in the Political Bureau, so that they go and talk to these people, and they consult among themselves. We don’t have a problem, our people are ready to go and meet these people in the consultative meeting.”

Ms Jambo said that the meeting should be held in the country since it is for members of SPLM.

“The first issue is what the agenda is? Is it dialogue? Alright if it is dialogue, and they consider themselves one party, why do we have to meet in another country? Why don’t we talk here in our place? The second issue is the chief mediator, who will reconcile these two parties, our team which is going from Juba and the team of the seven detainees, who are with Deng Alor. He is the same person who is mediating the talks between the government and the opposition. In our point of view, something is missing here. If there is no agenda, what are we negotiating about and how will the chief mediator be able to supervise both talks?”

However, the group of the former seven political detainees chose to stay outside the country after they were released on bail last month.