Senior SPLM party official resigns, urges Kiir to step down

November 22^nd 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – A senior member of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party has resigned calling for President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s resignation to end the ongoing bloodshed in the world’s youngest nation.

Wol Deng Atak who was a member of South Sudan’s parliament representing Tonj North County said he resigned because of Kiir’s lack of political will to end the ongoing civil war despite signing a peace agreement with opposition groups to do so.

“In September 2015, Your Excellency appointed me to a government position. But in July 2016, I resigned to protest lack of political will in your government to allow our people to enjoy fundamental human rights and freedoms enshrined in the laws of South Sudan,” Atak said.

“Since then, the situation, which led to my resignation have only grown worse. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart [that] I write to you again to tender this resignation letter and communicate my intention to sever ties with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM),” Atak added.

He added: “As I look back at the history made, my contributions at SPLM External Relations at the National Secretariat, as well as representing Tonj North Constituency in the National Parliament on SPLM’s ticket; and my experiences as a young man growing up under the SPLM controlled areas sum up this decision I made a painful one.”

“However, it is a choice I must make to stay clear to my allegiance to the principles the generations of South Sudan commit to defending before the formation of the SPLM. My commitment to the SPLM has, first and foremost, been about its professed intends to uphold freedoms, prosperity, justice and equality for all in South Sudan.

“However, it is my solemn view that the SPLM has ceased to represent these very values we fought for and has, instead, adopted the policies, which inspired our collective decision to fight against formerly consecutive Khartoum based regimes.

“To some extent, SPLM leadership has abandoned the doctrine that sustained our hopes during the liberation struggles. It is my humble view that the party has betrayed the nation beyond wildest imaginations; worse still SPLM leaderships have shown no indication of changing the course. The priorities the SPLM engage in since South Sudan gained independent have engendered enormous human sufferings in our country.

“More so, the actions of the party have disgraced the nation across the international borders. It is even more disgraceful that there should exist a sign of courage in the SPLM to find reasons to derail implementation of the Peace Agreement meant to ameliorate human sufferings, just to extend its stay in power It is, therefore, my earnest view that the SPLM cannot at this stage, integrate aspirations, wishes and values our people fought for. For this reason. I have no moral courage to continue my membership in the SPLM.

“While I sever my membership in the SPLM, I would like to urge a liberator or rather a hero in you to reconsider your current stance on maintaining power at all course irrespective of a toll on human sufferings. You can let it go and save your legacy and the future of the country you fought for.”