South Sudan President Salva Kiir accused the United States and Europe of meddling in his country’s affairs on Monday to ensure no elections would be held at the tail end of 2024.
President Kiir, speaking during a Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) rally, stated that this was against what the Nairobi peace process led by President William Ruto aimed to achieve.
He urged Western powers and local rebel leaders to give Ruto room to mediate in the process and ensure that peace and stability prevail.
Salva Kiir further faulted the US and Europe for what he described as a misguided campaign that South Sudan would be thrown into chaos and anarchy post-2024 elections.
“Some people in America and Europe said that a statement of SPLM must be prevented. Because if they go for elections, people will fight. Who is going to fight here among you?” he asked his supporters.
“Some people said if the election is allowed to go on, many people will die. South Sudanese will fight. I must assure you that nobody will fight,”
The President urged holdout groups to give Ruto’s peace process a chance, noting it was what the nation needed.
Showing his approval of the Ruto-led talks, he told the nation, “I am calling upon our brothers and sisters in the holdout groups to embrace the Tumaini Initiative under the leadership of Kenyan President William Ruto to dialogue with us to reach an amicable solution.”
He accused some of the rebel groups of being used by external forces to sabotage the exercise.
At the same time, South Sudan’s opposition, the United Democratic Revolutionary Movement (UDRM), proposed a power-sharing deal to end years of civil war.
UDRM, a member of the Tumaini Initiative, proposed a tripartite system within the executive and legislature.
According to UDRM, three political parties or coalitions would engage in a power-sharing deal both in the federal government and in parliament.
