Sudan’s SPLM denounces campaign against Vice President Kiir

Jan 27, 2006 (KHARTUM) — The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) has denounced the newspapers’ campaign against its leader Vice-President Salva Kiir Mayardit, saying that he has a negative role during the African Union summit, a press report said.

Official spokesperson for the SPLM’s northern sector Walid Hamid told Al-Watan yesterday that what he read in the newspapers about the SPLM leader’s role in the AU summit was full of fallacies.

Some daily news paper said Salva Kiir didn’t campaign actively in favour of Sudan’s bid for the chairmanship of the pan African organization.

Hamid said Kiir had been present and active at the summit and had told the press that he was confident that Sudan would lead the AU on the basis of previous discussions held with a number of African leaders.

He said that Minister of Foreign Affairs Lam Akol had also been present and active at the AU summit, not voicing his own personal opinion, but the view of the SPLM, which is a partner in power.

Hamid condemned the fact that Lam Akol’s role had been described as positive, while Kiir’s role as negative and insubstantial, stressing that the two men voiced the same policy and worked together in the government. He said that such comments were biased and disparaging, and showed a misunderstanding of the SPLM.

This is not the first time since the establishment of the government of national unity that pro National Congress Party press trade such accusations against the former rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).

During his visit to Washington in November last year Savla Kiir had been accused of not defending the lifting of the US economic sanctions on Sudan.

(ST)