South Sudan’s First Vice President and former rebel Taban Deng Gai on Monday formally folded his party into the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) of President Salva Kiir.
The move is aimed at bolstering the legitimacy of Mr Kiir’s regime and undermining rebel leader Riek Machar, to whom Mr Gai was formerly allied.
Mr Gai split from Machar following heavy fighting in the capital Juba in 2016 and, siding with Mr Kiir, took his former boss’s job and is seeking to strengthen his position in the government.
In a confusing move, both Gai in Juba and Machar, under house arrest in South Africa, continued to call their respective factions SPLM-IO (In Opposition) despite now being on opposing sides in the four-year-old conflict.
ARUSHA AGREEMENT
But rebels and politicians allied to former Vice President Riek Machar immediately dismissed the move as betrayal and inconsequential.
Mr Gai has been First Vice President since August 2016 and ostensibly represents SPLM-IO in the transitional government.
“I would therefore like to announce on behalf of the SPLM-IO structures and the entire membership of the party the dissolution of the SPLM-IO organs, including Chapters and declare them to be united with the SPLM; the historic liberation party in the Republic of South Sudan,” Mr Gai said in a statement.
“All SPLM-IO members and cadres are directed to strictly observe this reunification process as stated in the Arusha Agreement of January 21, 2015,” he added, referring to mediation efforts initially began by Tanzania’s ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
VIOLENCE
The world’s youngest nation, which achieved independence from Sudan in 2011, descended into civil war in late 2013 when Mr Kiir accused Dr Machar of plotting a coup.
In the years since, millions have been uprooted, triggering a regional refugee crisis with millions more being been pushed to the brink of starvation; while tens of thousands have been killed, mostly civilians.
While originally siding with Dr Machar, his fellow Nuer tribesman, Mr Gai switched sides ostensibly to help bring peace, but fighting has continued since and talks have floundered.
“The new rejuvenated SPLM will be fighting tribalism. We reconcile the communities, we stop child abduction and cattle rustling. We will continue with the disarmament of the civilians so that people are secure,” Mr Gai vowed Monday.
MACHAR FLEES
Choosing to pull along with SPLM means soldiers allied to both sides could respect the cessation of hostilities deal and provide a better environment to hold peace talks.
Except it could also sow divisions within the SPLM-IO while the de facto leader is under house arrest in Pretoria.
Dr Machar fled Juba just three months after taking up the position of First Vice President, following violence at the Presidential Palace.
A faction in SPLM-IO immediately replaced him with Mr Gai who went on to gain recognition in the eastern Africa region.
PRIORITY
But on Monday, Dr Machar’s spokesman claimed Mr Gai had been ‘bought’ by President Kiir to ruin the opposition.
“We don’t support unification. Taban Deng has been used and dumped by Kiir,” James Oryema, Machar’s spokesman in Nairobi, claimed.
“Unification is not a priority at the moment. We do have fundamental issues to be resolve first,” he added.
Dr Machar’s side claims reforms in the security sector that could improve governance, accountability, economic reforms and discourage armed confrontations should be prioritised.
It would be interesting to see how this move affects scheduled peace negotiations next week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.