SPLM-DC Kisanga defects to South Sudan’s ruling party, accuses Akol of embezzlement
July 19, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The main opposition party in South Sudan was dealt a severe blow after its number two figure announced that he along with thousands others are leaving to join the mainstream Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) dominating the South.
Charles Kisanga, the deputy chairman of the breakaway Sudan People Liberation Movement-Democratic Change (SPLM-DC) said in a statement that he and others joined this party “to improve on the failures of GoSS or SPLM…. good governance in Southern Sudan and introduction of more democracy to the SPLM”.
SPLM-DC was formed by former Sudanese foreign minister Lam Akol who, while part of the mainstream SPLM, frequently accused its leaders of corruption and mismanagement. From the start, many in the South viewed him with suspicion given his close ties with the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) headed by president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
Akol was the sole candidate running against SPLM leader Salva Kiir for South Sudan presidency but gained only 7% of the votes. He afterwards accused the SPLM of vote rigging and intimidation.
Kisanga claimed that the NCP backed Akol to run against SPLM’s Kiir in the elections.
“The NCP and Sudan security, which had good reason to see a formidable opponent come up against SPLM in the Southern Sudan, indeed did pour money via SPLM-DC chairman to be used in building SPLM-DC into a great party; but he hated accountability and so he splashed out the cash whenever he thought it was good for him” he said.
“The chairman embezzled millions of Sudanese pounds for his campaign to unseat the President General, Salva Kiir. During which corruption, nepotism and dictatorship by the chairman was now rampant. The chairpersons of the state offices were neglected and party cadres had no funds to build the party” Kisanga added.
He further said that Akol is attempting to destabilize the South and obstruct the referendum scheduled for January 2011 through supporting militias.
“Dr. Lam Akol is using the claim of Election rigging in the Southern Sudan to undermine the peace and obstruct the referendum through his support for militia forces in Upper Nile and Unity states where he is channelling money and weapons to dissident soldiers to wage war against the GoSS and as well as other tribes”
“For him, the fighting can delay the referendum or obstruct it all together and he can then take power by force since he is now convinced Southern Sudanese will never vote for him in any free democratic environment judging from the result where President Salva Kiir beat him 93% to mere 7%”.
Kisanga said that more than 80 SPLM-DC senior staff and workers left their official positions within the party while more than two thousand members who registered as party members in the states of Great Equatoria, Western Bahr El- Ghazal, Warrap, Northern Bahr El Ghazal and Jonglei have also defected from SPLM-DC plus eight other northern states.
CHEAP POLITICAL MOVE
While his decision to join SPLM received myriad of congratulatory messages from cross sections of southern tribes, , members of his former party, the SPLM-DC, described it as “weak and a cheap political decision to take”.
“SPLM-DC has never benefited from him [Kisanga] while holding one of the most powerful positions in the political structure of the SPLM-DC to regret his defection, for he was just warming it without political muscles. He was a dead wood,” said an SPLM-DC official who asked not be named in an e-mail message to Sudan Tribune.
Wilson Mangaiwai Abe, an intellectual from Zande community in Tambura commended Kisanga for joining the SPLM, saying it is “the right choice at the right time”.
“The decision to join the people’s party [SPLM] is the best choice Charles has ever thought of” he said.
“I sincerely thanked and congratulated him for making and taking such decision at a time we honestly need one political stance for the successful conduct of our referendum and those criticizing him for joining, are evils and real enemies of southern stability,” Abe added.
While Kisanga attributed his decision to to internal marginalization, others connected it to the recent SPLM-DC national convention held in Khartoum few days before Charles departed Khartoum for Juba.
The convention witnessed the election of new Secretary General in the name of Sandara Bona Malwal to replace Kisanga to become Deputy Chairman of the party. A move Charles, according to reliable sources within the delegates did not like.
Charles, however, disputed these allegations in an interview with Sudan Tribune and insisted that he left the party not because of replacement made against his will, but has felt the need to ensure a that successful conduct of referendum is done without interference by political differences. He also claimed to have made his decision in response to calls by members of his community.
(ST)
Dansedit
SPLM-DC Kisanga defects to South Sudan’s ruling party, accuses Akol of embezzlement
when was Lam Akol prime Minister????????????
johnmaker
SPLM-DC Kisanga defects to South Sudan’s ruling party, accuses Akol of embezzlement
Wow that is a great news. For DC was formed to destabilized the referendum in south. I congratulate Mr. Charles Kissanga for his wise and wonderful choice he ever made in his entired life.
And I still urged those millitias leaders who are been used to creat chaos at their own homes to say no to these evildoer dead man called Lam Akol.I know politic is the a games, but it come to somebody like Lam, death is the only opt for him.
It is good example for those who have been supporting so call DC to watch their mouh in this site.Those like Gatwech, theieliny, famous logic boy and likes to learn from kisanga.
I hated weaked heart people. God have mercy to those Nuer and Equatoria militia who are been blindly used by the dead man.
may God reveal the truth in them
sagadick
SPLM-DC Kisanga defects to South Sudan’s ruling party, accuses Akol of embezzlement
While i welcome back with caution the return of Mr. Kisanga and his colleagues to the SPLM Mother, I want to appeal to the remaining members of the SPLM-DC to do the same as soon as possible to follow the steps of their colleagues who revolted against their inivisionary leader Dr. Lam Akol.
Mr. Kisanga, why joining Lam Akol in the first place? Dr. Lam and his SPLM-DC is a Bahsir’s made party to destabilise south, the GoSS and to discourage southerners from voting in favour of independent of their country. Since 1991, Lam proved to be working against Southern Sudan and against his own people.
However, I my opinion, I think you and your defected colleagues should first apologise to the SPLM Party and to the people of Southern Sudan for all the harms you have done before you are officially welcomed.
Nevertheless, my advice to the SPLM is to put you probation for two years to avoid another defection as your ex-leader Lam Akol did to the SPLM. Prove yourselves and for most work against Mr. Akol’s folly.
Oh yeah, I hope Mr. James is one of the newly defected SPLM-DC members.
Anyway, good luck
Kur
SPLM-DC Kisanga defects to South Sudan’s ruling party, accuses Akol of embezzlement
SPLM-DC, or whatever they call it, was never anything but a bunch of evil traitors. People who have some sense of feeling cannot waste their time with Lam Akol. No. Thank you Mr. Kisanga, you a future in the SPLM.
Kur
James Okuk Solomon
SPLM-DC Kisanga defects to South Sudan’s ruling party, accuses Akol of embezzlement
From Dr. Lam Akol:
1. If what Charles and Co. are saying were to be true, why did he wait this long to defect?
2. Charles Kisanga is the last person to talk about corruption and money. Everybody who was at the National Delegates’ Congress (NDC) knew that he was literally carrying the money in his bag and dishing it out personally without receipts. Why did he differ with the Secretary for Administration and Finance if not that he was handling money? The letters exchanged between the two are a testimony to his corruption and lust for money. Assuming the SPLM-DC was so bad as he claims, is the alternative to go back to the SPLM which he had just left a year ago for being, undemocratic, corrupt, anti-people, etc. What changed to the better in the SPLM?
3. The attached is the true copy of the resignation letter of Charles Kisanga (It will be scanned). Note the following part therein: “…I have accepted now to resign and move to deputy chairman and I hope you can also guarantee my priviledges(sic).”
4. If the National Council did not reject giving him privileges, which other deputies were not getting, Charles would have had no problem. Hence, the whole story is a smokescreen manufactured to hide his lust for money which was the only reason for his defection.
5. There is nowhere were Charles offered the position of First Deputy Chairman as he claims. The position does not exist in SPLM-DC.
6. The bogus claim that Equatorians were defecting with him from SPLM-DC to SPLM is not true. Of all the members of the National Council from Greater Equatoria, he got only three. The rest ( more than twenty) rejected his betrayal.
7. He was busy trying to collect signatures from SPLM-DC supporters in Juba. He got only Elias Gaaniku who stole the money of SPLM-DC candidates in Eastern Equatoria in the last elections, Salah who ran away with 12,000 SDG for the rent of SPLM-DC office in Juba, Samuel Mido who attempted to steal the SPLM-DC car of Central Equatoria State and ran to Nairobi, Louis Emmanuel who wanted to take control of the campaign money for Eastern equatoria and when he failed, he defected to the SPLM. He had done so not on 18/7/2010 but long ago. What do they all have in common?
8. Where are the thousands of Southerners Kisanga is claiming to have brought to SPLM-DC when his State (Western Equatoria) was the only State in Southern Sudan that did not have enough registered voters to second his Chairma in the last elections?
9. The allegations about receiving money from the NCP and the National Security, and the militia business are meant to please his new masters. In fact, he would not have received all the attention he did if he did not say so. The allegations have to be treated with the contempt they deserve. Charles should mention the names of those militia leaders he meant.
10. All the claims about the defections inside and outside the country are lies which will not take long to be proven so.
I bet, in two weeks time, nobody will hear about Charles Kisanga again. Good riddance!
Read what Kisanga said just last week before he defected to SPLM and see how the man is abnormal in the flow of his thoughts in relation to his recent press release. Why should the so-called militia not be there when Kisanga is the SG of SPLM-DC and at the same time be there when he joins the SPLM? Contradiction!
Responding to the allegations, the SPLM-DC denied allegations made by the SPLA that it has killed a number of militiamen belonging to the SPLM-DC in Upper Nile state.
The deputy chairman of the SPLM-DC, Charles Kisanga spoke to SRS in Khartoum on Wednesday.
[Charles Kisanga]: “How could they have a militia? When you register as a political party you are not supposed to have any army affiliated to your party and we abide by this. And by the way the SPLA and the SPLM control everything in southern Sudan as you know. How many of our people are being arrested daily and so on, where on earth could SPLM-DC be able to put up an army? We are not in control of southern Sudan. These are tribal things which the SPLA could do better to control.” Charles Kisanga, SPLM-DC deputy chairperson was speaking to SRS on Wednesday in Khartoum.
Bol Bol
SPLM-DC Kisanga defects to South Sudan’s ruling party, accuses Akol of embezzlement
Some of us are not surprise of this changed in venue. Like many who left and come back to the SPLM before, people knew that Mr. Charles was one day going to eat his own words and come back to the people’s party….the SPLM. As for Lam Akol, the guy couldn’t even win his own state governorship seat. The Next move is for him to come back to the people’s party. He’s a smart person and will come back before the end of this year. The history is in the making and he wouldn’t want to be caught up in the wrong side.
Awumtiai
SPLM-DC Kisanga defects to South Sudan’s ruling party, accuses Akol of embezzlement
So Okuk you call defection of Charles Kisanga to SPLM/SPLA a betrayal? I’m laughing my head off here. How about incessant defection of Lam Akol Okuk? What names did you give to them? Wasn’t that a betrayal as well to SPLA/SPLM party and masses of Southern Sudan? So you begin to know the truth when you are bite in the bud? Whatever you are saying against Charles is just unfounded and useless!! You are covering up evil practices done to SPLM-DC party by your god-father Lam Akol. His weakness are going to be exhumed one by one, and in two to three years that party will vanish off the list. There is no single day you will acknowledge Lam’s myopic decisions.
Follow him and I advice, you are heading to a no through road buddy!!! You better liberate yourself from the illusion that Lam Akol is the right person to govern Southerners. Such wishful thinking will never come true Okuk!!!!
Awumtiaidit.