April 20, 2020 (Nyamilepedia) — SPLM-IO spokesman and minister of interior Mabior Garang de’Mabior has denied that there was mass exodus in the main armed opposition group.
This comes after media report terming the defection of former South Sudan petroleum minister and senior SPLM-IO member Dak Duop Bichiok along with nine others as “mass exodus.”
“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,” Mabior said.
Mabior then downplayed the defections starting from General Koang Chuol to Dak Duop Bichiok 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.
