May 28th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – Former governor of Latjor state, one of the states created by South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir Mayardiit after he dissolved the defunct Upper Nile state, Maj. Gen. Peter Gatkouth Kor has switched side and joined the SPLM-IO under the leadership of the country’s former first vice president Riek Machar.
In a statement extended to the Nyamilepedia on Thursday, the former governor declared his decision to join the SPLM-IO movement under Riek Machar Teny, the former first vice president of South Sudan.
“I would like to take this opportunity to inform the people of South Sudan wherever they may be that as from now, I have switched my support from the so-called government of national unity led by Salva Kiir Mayardiit, Taban Deng Deng and James Wani Igga respectively,” he wrote in the letter dated 24th May 2018.
Gatkuoth said his decision followed the unprocedural merger of his defunct SPLM-IO Taban group with the government which he said contradicted the principle of political party.
“The recent dissolution of the SPLM-IO under Taban Deng Gai is a pretext to reunify the SPLM factions. As a supporter,of IO, I felt disappointed as it was unprocedural and at the same time it ultra vires. In frankly speaking we all know the principle of political party, one person cannot dissolve the party whatsoever the case,” he said.
Taban Deng Gai was the SPLM-IO chief negotiator until his defection to the South Sudan government in July 2016 after clashes at J1, South Sudan’s presidential palace after President Kiir reportedly ordered his guards to arrest then first vice president Riek Machar marking the end of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) and the collapse of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCISS).
Gatkuoth was appointed to the position in 2016 and was dismissed in January 2016.
