South Sudan Athor’s rebels in talks to join government
South Sudan dissidents formerly loyal to the slain rebel chief George Athor Deng are currently in power-sharing talks that could see them join government, officials said on Tuesday.
The talks are being held in Ayod County in the troubled Jonglei state between the rebel forces and the civil administration, army spokesman Colonel Philip Aguer Panyang said.
“The civil administration of Ayod County has been in contact with them for some time. So they are negotiating now inside Ayod with late George Athor’s officers,” Aguer said.
Dr George Athor Deng, who based his rebellion in Jonglei state, was killed last December in Morobo County, Central Equatoria State, while recruiting youths into the rebel group.
Despite his death, ethnic fighting has continued to ravage Jonglei state, with officials saying that the arms the rebels provided to the civilians have hiked the level of hostilities.
Ethnic rivalries
Jonglei state Local Government minister Duop Lam said close to 80 officers and soldiers formerly loyal to Athor Deng have already returned from the bush, ready to lay down arms through a reintegration process.
“They are returning and we are receiving them with open arms in respect to the amnesty offered by our president,” said Mr Duop, referring to a pardon President Salva Kiir offered at Independence Day last July to all who picked up arms against the then regional government.
“We are committed to ensure that there is peace in Jonglei state. We are talking with them and we hope we will all agree,” he said.
Militia fighting and ethnic rivalries have claimed thousands of lives in South Sudan’s Jonglei state since independence.
A peace deal with the rebels could lower the prospects of more instability, observers say. The rebels could not be reached for comments
A secret agreement that the government said was reached last year with late Athor Deng indicates that the rebels would fill slots of an advisor, four senior civil servants and two ambassadors at the national level.
In the states, the agreement said, the group would fill slots of an advisor and five civil servants in Upper Nile and an advisor and seven senior civil servants in Jonglei State.
On military integration, the parties agreed that 5,000 of Athor Deng’s forces would be integrated into the SPLA within 30 days.
The agreement also confirmed that the amnesty granted for the second or third time to the rebels by President Kiir was to be respected.
However, Duop said the talks could explore new avenues for peace.
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