Juba, South Sudan,
28 May 2021 — About 181 officials from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) led by President Salva Kiir have dumped the party and joined the protagonist movement under the leadership of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, accusing Kiir of turning the party into ‘individual business enterprise’.
Headed by former Aweil West commissioner Lino Dut Wol, the group says the SPLM has lost vision as evidenced by the use of the National Congress Party politics by the SPLM-nominated Governor of Norther Bhar el Ghazal state Tong Aken Ngor, who is also the SPLM Chairperson of Northern Bahr el Ghazal.
“I am hereby announcing our resignation from SPLM party and announce our declaration of joining the most vision[ary], able and respective party SPLM-IO with effects from May 28, 2021” the group said in a statement obtained by Nyamilepedia.
“Poor Leadership of Mr. Tong Aken of NCP who is working and using NCP systems in SPLM by applying centralization of bringing a person from Aweil North to lead Aweil West county SPLM office, this showed that SPLM has lost vision of maintaining Members in the Party by creating a conflict within the party,” the group added.
The disgruntled group also slammed the leadership of Kiir for failing to bring the rampant insecurity within the country under control.
“The SPLM Party currently has completely lost direction, taking the country to a war whereby SPLM leadership has subjected communities to communal conflict of which more youth are dying day and night in every state across the country without accountability,” the statement said.
It says at both national at state levels, the party’s resources of the SPLM were being used to the benefit of a handful of individuals and tribalism has held a strong grip on the party.
“The SPLM party of today was turned to be an individual business enterprise in the state and national level and it is clear in NBGS where the party has become a place for tribalism and clannish using the resources for their own interest,” the statement claims.
“The SPLM leadership has failed completely since soldiers and civil servants suffering without salaries pay for the whole year while the leadership is keeping silent,” they protested.
The defective group says more than 80 percent of children whose parents work for the government were malnourished because they lack decent diet adding that the SPLM leadership has also failed in offering quality education to the citizens.
“About 85% of young children under 5 years, pregnant and lactating mothers are suffering from malnutrition since their parents are working under government of SPLM without Salaries.
“SPLM leadership has failed in the education field where teachers have become defenseless paying them small money of grade 12 while individuals use country resources to take their children outside the country for better education.
“SPLM Leadership also failed to deliver [quality] health services in the country of which country is currently depending on International organization fund.
On Agriculture and food security, the voice discontent saying “75% of the population in South Sudan are depending on food aid while SPLM leadership has no plan for hunger annihilation in the country.”
