There is no mass exodus from SPLM-IO says Mabior
April 19, 2020 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s Deputy Interior Minister Mabior Garang de Mabior on Sunday fustigated media converge of the defection of some SPLM/A-IO senior members describing it as “propaganda”.
“What is being labelled as, “mass exodus from the SPLM/SPLA (IO)”, by the intellectual mercenaries of the traditional elite, is nothing more than sensationalism and propaganda,” said Mabior who is also the Chairman of the SPLM-IO national committee for information and public relations.
He further minimized the recent successive splits from the group after the formation of the government saying in every conflict there are “those who collaborate” with the enemy.
Mabior said that the split of breakaway groups as such will help the SPLM-IO to be “refined in the crucible of revolution” before to point out that their group is the last manifestation in the historical struggle of South Sudanese for total liberation.
The formation of the SPLM-IO is a “response to the failure of the preceding Movement to deliver the promise of the liberation struggle,” he stressed.
Early this week, a South Sudanese veteran politician and a member of the influential Gieng body, Aldo Ajou, called on President Kiir to not welcome the splinters saying they would negatively impact peace implementation process.
“The political Exodus from SPLM IO to the SPLM mainstream, in my opinion, is a further provocation of anarchical chaos,” said Aldo Ajou in a written statement released on Friday 17 April.
On Thursday 16 April, a group led by Dak Duop Bichiok former SPLM-IO Political Bureau member split from their movement and joined the SPLM-IG after saying that Machar turned the party into “a family dynasty”.
In the same way, some generals led by Gen James Koang Chuol Ranley, had broken away last March from the SPLM-IO after the appointment as defence minister of Machar wife and his comrade during the struggle Angelina Teny.
Mabior called for a cross-party and non-violent alliance including SPLM-IO, SSOMA, SSOA, FD’s, OPP and SPLM-IG to achieve democratic and economic reforms in the country.
“The new political dispensation is more favourable for non-violent action and all the revolutionary intellectuals in our country must unite and engage in National Mobilization for fundamental change in our country,” he said.
(ST)