Juba, South Sudan
November 4,2021— At the height of his recent visit to Juba, which attracted attention of many South Sudanese, the Former Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mabior Garang De Mabior, refused offers by senior elites of the SPLM such as Kuol Manyang, Daniel Awet Akot and president Kiir stressing that the ruling party is in a deplorable state.
The son of SPLM/A founder, said he cannot join the ruling party as per now because the conditions in which the party are in at the moment are not favoring people.
Mabior went to Juba last Friday upon invitation from the country’s president Salva Kiir Mayardiit.
Speaking to journalists at Juba International Airport yesterday, Mabior said he was asked by the top SPLM members Daniel Awet and Kuol Manyang Juuk to re-join the SPLM party but he refused the offer saying the SPLM party’s conditions are worsening from time to time.
“I am not joining any political party as per now, you know when I met SPLM elders, Kuol Manyang and Daniel Awet, they asked me to rejoin the SPLM but I told them that I can’t join the SPLM because the conditions in which the SPLM are in now are not good”, Mabior told journalists on Wednesday.
“but if we can work together to put SPLM where it used to be before then there’s no problem”, he added.
Mabior Garang said he would just focus on civil entities as his clandestine organization has been registered in the country but says in case he decides to turn it into a political party, then it shouldn’t be seen as a “crime”.
When asked whether he has defected from Kitgwang faction led by the SPLA-IO former Chief of General Staff Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual , Mabior said Kitgwang is just a village in Upper Nile not political party but as per now he is no longer a member of the SPLM-IO because they were deposed by military component of the movement which they have endorsed its principles of declaration as National Conversation – South Sudan.
Mabior returned to Nairobi yesterday for treatment and he promised to come back to efforts to the peace building in the country.
