South Sudan’s Kiir should not welcome SPLM-IO splinters: veteran politician
April 18, 2020 (JUBA) – Aldo Ajou Deng Akuei, a veteran South Sudanese politician Friday called on President Salva Kiir to not welcome SPLM-IO defectors saying they would hurt peace implementation process.
“The political Exodus from SPLM IO to the SPLM mainstream, in my opinion, is a further provocation of anarchical chaos,” wrote the member of the Jieng Council of Elders, an advisory body for Kiir.
He stressed that the SPLM needs “new and young political cadres” who with their fresh vision can lead the country in the right direction after six years of war in the young nation.
“I recommend to SPLM leadership to reject any group of anarchists invaders. They could endanger the ongoing peace deal between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek,” he stressed.
On Thursday 16 April, a group led by Dak Duop Bichiok former SPLM-IO Political Bureau member declared their resignation from their group and announced that they are joining the SPLM-IG after saying that Machar turned the party into “a family dynasty”.
In January 2020, South Sudan’s ceasefire monitoring body blamed the government army for welcoming an SPLM-IO splinter general James Ochan Puot in who broke away in September 2019.
“The change of allegiance to the Government (side) did not act in the spirit of the (Revitalized Peace) Agreement, said the CTSAMVM.
However last March a group of SPLA-IO generals led by the Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration, Lt. General James Koang Chuol Ranley joined the SSPDF after criticising the appointment of Machar’s wife as the defence minister of the national unity government.
Akuei said Bichiok can establish his own political group instead of joining the SPLM under the leadership of President Kiir.
“The best Dak Bishop should have done was/is to form his own party. This could be the only save political dispensation,” he advised.
From Cairo, another group of the SPLM-IO members in Egypt have resigned from their group and joined the party of President Salva Kiir.
Led by Chuol Gony Gatluak, Former SPLM-IO Sobat Peace Delegate the splinters said they are 200 activists in Egypt who decide to collectively resign from the group.
They further said they decided to break away from the Movement in collaboration with Dak Duop Bichiok former member SPLM-IO Political Bureau who joined the SPLMIG on Thursday.
(ST)