Juba, South Sudan
September 23,2021—The former spokesman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In-Opposition (SPLM-IO), Capt Mabior Garang De Mabior, who held two ministerial positions on SPLM/A-IO docket, strongly believes that the Chairman and C-in-C of the SPLM/A-IO Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, who is currently struggling to hold the armed opposition together, has simply lost interest in the SPLM/A-IO and abandoned his former colleagues after his reappointment as the First Vice President of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity of the Republic of South Sudan.
According to Mabior, who recently shifted his political allegiance to military-led faction of Kitgwang, Dr. Machar has simply moved on from what they started in 2014 and decided to ignore them despite that they have been disowned and isolated by their constituencies, especially the politicians like Mabior from the Dinka community who chose to rise above demobilization campaign against Dr. Machar in rhetoric of 1991 massacre of the Dinka Bor people.
In a statement received by Nyamilepedia, Mabior says Dr. Machar lost interest in them and in return they lost interest in him for abandoning the agreed principles of the struggle after his re-appointment as the First Vice President.
“Dr. Riek Machar lost interest in us. Similarly, we have lost interest in him after he abandoned the reform agenda and power left him and we have moved to the Generals in Kit Gwang who deposed him on matters of principle. This is not personal, it is a difference in political opinions and values”, Mabior stated in a statement obtained by Nyamilepedia.
The opposition figure said he still owes much respect to his former chairman despite differences in politics, adding that his siding with Machar during the conflict has given him an opportunity to be known by the country in his quest for freedom, justice and equality in the country.
“We still have respect for Dr. Riek Machar as an individual. The experience we gained in the
SPLM-IO over the last seven years has been invaluable as we fully contributed our
faculties to the struggle”, Mabior added.
Last month, Mabior joined the senior opposition commander Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, wh claimed to have overthrown Dr. Machar from the SPLM/A-IO leadership until two days ago when they duo change their position in pursuit of military interest only leaving Machar to continue pursuing his political ideologies.
It is yet to be known if Mabior is ready to put his boots on and join the military or if he would move on to form his own political party after Gatwech and Olony distanced Kitgwang from being a political platform for aspiring politicians like young Mabior and others.
