Machar’s official criticised as ‘opportunist’ for personal gains

September 20, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – An official of the rebel group led by former vice- president, Riek Machar, has been criticized for allegedly being an “opportunist” who only wanted to hold positions for personal gains rather than truly committing to a political agenda or Machar’s leadership.

Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, who has recently been elevated to chair rebels national committee for external relations, is said to have historically been shifting sides and betraying the rebel leader, Machar, over the years.

A senior official who defected from Machar in August said Gatkuoth campaigned against Machar during the 2008 national convention of the ruling party of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and only came back to the former vice president after he was dumped by president Kiir.

“Riek is surrounded by many people who are opportunists. They are not loyal to him or his political agenda at all. The sad thing is he buys their false loyalty at the expense of his true loyalists. This is his biggest weakness,” the official, who preferred anonymity, told Sudan Tribune from Khartoum on phone.

“Look, people like Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth have been against his [Machar’s] leadership for a very long time,” he said.

The defector also claimed that those around Machar, including former governor Taban Deng Gai, were responsible for the split in the movement as they were allegedly pushing aside others from the group.

He further narrated that when former guerilla leader, John Garang signed a peace agreement to reunite their factions in 2002, Gatkuoth, who served as representative for Machar in the United States, immediately abandoned Machar and switched to the side of late Garang in the United States.

The official, he said, had remained loyal to president Salva Kiir after the demise of late Garang in 2005. The diplomat during the 2008 national convention was president Kiir’s staunch supporter and had to publicly speak against Machar.

Gatkuoth, the former head of South Sudan’s mission in US also fell out with president Kiir when he was relieved from his Washington post after independence in 2011, and became an opponent to Kiir in protest of losing his position. This allegedly forced him to defect and join the group of former party secretary general, Pagan Amum.

Gatkuoth defected from Amum’s former detainees in 2014 and rejoined Machar for the first time in 12 years of opposition, he said.

“Lol Gatkuoth was a young man who lacked political experience when he was in 1998 appointed by Riek as representative of SSIM in US after he volunteered himself. I still think he doesn’t have the right experience to head this important institution,” he said.

The official further alleged that it will not be a surprise should Gatkuoth switch side again to any other group in the future if another opportunity knocks at his door, including rejoining president Kiir to serve his purpose.

“If Riek will not give him what he wants, you will see him abandoning him again,” he claimed.

Previously appointed as deputy chairperson for external relations committee, he was recently promoted to replace his former boss, Dhieu Mathok Ding, who has been reappointed to head transport and roads committee.

A group, calling itself Federal Democratic Party (FDP) led by former minister of culture and youths, Gabriel Changson Chang, has declared defection from Machar’s faction, with former deputy chief of general staff for logistics, Gathoth Gatkuoth, accusing him of alleged weaknesses in the leadership.

Gatkuoth also said his former boss had allegedly turned the movement into a family property, an accusation dismissed by Machar’s media officials.

(ST)