SPLM official denies SG involvement in Akol assassination attempt
By Isaac Vuni
March 29, 2008 (JUBA) — The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Secretary General Pagan Amum was not involved in the alleged assassination plot of the Sudan’s former foreign minister Lam Akol that left three people dead in the Upper Nile state, a senior official at the Southern movement said.
Itto said the incident which occurred along Panika road, 15 miles from Malakal capital of Upper Nile state, was carried out by cattle rustlers who instantly shot dead three occupants of the vehicles while Akol was in Malakal town.
The SPLM Deputy Secretary further revealed that the cattle rustlers had earlier conducted a raid and escaped with many heads of cattle’s moving towards Nadia and the driver was inform but he did not heed to peoples’ advices.
As the car of former minister and member of SPLM Interim Political Bureau was coming from Malakal town, it was ambushed by raiders at 6.00 pm who opened fire and killing three occupants and injuring one.
Asked why it has taken long for SPLM to counter what she termed degrading rumors, Ann Itto said SPLM “did not expect southern Sudanese to believe such unfounded and fabricated stories aimed at creating fears, enmity and dividing the great leaders of southern Sudan who worked tirelessly for realization of the CPA”.
Itto accused some political parties of being behind creating insecurity “in order to undermine the implementation of the CPA” but declined to name them. She called on all Sudanese particularly those in the south to love and respect each other views and opinion because SPLM as a governing party “stand for democratization of its structure from grassroots to the top”.
In response to questions whether there were political differences between Akol and Amum who are both from the same state and county, Itto said that political differences are normal but the important thing is that SPLM is one party and therefore its members “are not expected to plot against each other”.
She said the SPLM had talked to the two strong leaders from Upper Nile state and both agreed that there was no animosity between them since they are members of the SPLM Interim political Bureau.
Itto noted that other political parties cause problems in Malakal as they envied the two greater SPLM leaders.
(ST)