Northern Bahr el Ghazal SPLM youth office in brawl over new changes
July 15, 2015 (JUBA) – The office of the youth wing of South Sudan’s governing Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) is experiencing a rift after a section of the state secretariat organized a sudden and unexpected meeting to replace the youth leadership.
Mariano Angui, member of the youth council representing Mariem Payam in the SPLM youth leadership at the state level told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday they were blocked from attending a meeting allegedly organized by the state secretariat with intention to select new youth leadership in the state.
He accused James Jok Lual, secretary for planning and budget of stoking division to undermine unity of the people and the leadership of the youth group in the state, stressing that they would not recognize whatever decision a section of the secretariat will take.
“There has been a plan masterminded by Jok Lual to replace the whole office. He has now called for a meeting with a section of youth from the counties to come to Aweil town where they are now holding a meeting at South Sudan hotel,” Angui revealed to Sudan Tribune by phone from Aweil town, capital of the state.
“What they are doing is illegal and we will not accept whatever decision they will make,” he warned.
Former Aweil West county commissioner, Santo Garang, told Sudan Tribune in a separate interview that illegal and unconstitutional activities were being conducted in the name of the SPLM in the state by people with different political interest to cause division in the state.
“A lot of wrong things have been happening in this state. There is one guy here who likes creating problems. He never rest if there is no problem. He fishes in the dirty water that is why he likes creating problems. He is one of those who benefit from confusion and division [rather] than peace,” he said.
Garang wondered why the youth wing was dissolved at the time when the whole leadership had decided to postpone any organization until when the country was at peace as a primary focus.
“First of all, the SPLM leadership has given peace a priority in the programs. The leadership is working on uniting the country and the people. That is why the leadership decided to reinstate Pagan Amum because this is not the time to create more division. It is a time of working together but here in Aweil, there are those who rejoice [over] the division. What Jok is doing is wrong and never be supported,” he said.
Mayuol Diing, another youth leader in the state said he and some other members were blocked and those who insisted to participate in the meeting were reported to criminal department for arrest.
“Now, Bona Baak Akueny and Valentino Aguer Juac have been arrested. There was no reason. It’s because they have asked why the youth leadership in the state was not informed and why was the meeting being held without their knowledge and they are the leaders of the youth,” Diing lamented.
He said he was last week told by Jok Lual to join the rebels fighting against the government if he did not like the way they were managing the affairs of the SPLM which is the ruling party in the country.
“He told me last week to rebel, which I did not take lightly,” he recalled.
“If you don’t like, you rebel. Abduallah Kuot who used to be like this has rebelled, if this is what you want, you go,” Diing quoted Jok as telling him.
The youth leader said Jok reacted negatively before the former Aweil South county, Jel Mangok, who saw himself as the deputy chairperson of the SPLM in the state, a position he contested with the incumbent deputy chairperson, Arkenjelo Athian Teng Angok.
Mangok accessed the office in January this year during a controversial changes at a party meeting influenced and chaired by the current chief of General staff of the government forces, Paul Malong Awan, who is still the party chairman in the state despite being the army chief.
Awan was elected into the office in 2008 as the chairperson with Arkenjelo Athian Teng Angok as his deputy. However, the duo fell out in 2009, resulting in the former replacing the latter in the position of deputy governor.
Angok, however, retained his position in the party but Awan in January decided to make changes and replaced him with one of his political associates, former Aweil South county commissioner, Jel Mangok.
The changes attracted wide spread condemnations and rejections, with some questioning why Awan was not replaced from his position of the party since he has crossed to military services which allowed no participation of the serving officers in politics unless they are officially retired to join politics.
Many in the state believe that Awan plays a great role in the ongoing political instability and wrangling in the state, with increasing threats of arrest against those questioning how the state political affairs were being managed.
(ST)