October 20, 2021—-members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In-Opposition under the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, are worried that they are facing life threatening intimidating from the Warap State Governor, Hon. Aleu Ayieny Aleu, who has executed at least 46 people in cold blood within the last few months of his leadership.
“Since governor Aleu was appointed over 46 people have been executed in the state without due process of law”
Speaking to media on Monday, October 18, 2021, senior state officials of SPLM/A-IO exposed governor Aleu’s activities in Warrap State amid extrajudicial killing, curfews and harassment of senior politicians.
Speaking to media from the capital, Juba on Monday, the lawmakers declared that they may pull out if UNMISS, IGAD and other third parties do not intervene in their situation.
According to Hon. Yolanda Awel Deng, one of the senior SPLM-IO lawmakers from Warrap State, governor Aleu came out in Kwajok last week, dressed in military fatigue and covered by heavily armored military, and openly declared war against the SPLM/A-IO after accusing them of causing insecurity in the state.
“He (the governor) harassed and intimidated one of the cabinet members in the meeting in front of everyone mistaking him for being an SPLM-IO member, asked the SPLM-IO party members in the hall to stand up, which was done, accused the SPLM-IO party members as the ones causing chaos in the state, accused the SPLM-IO of lack of cooperation with him (the Governor), threatened to kill SPLM-IO constitutional post holders, and finally declared war against the SPLM-IO party,” Said Yolanda Awel Deng said during their press briefing in the capital, Juba.
While reading the press release of the SPLM/A-IO, Yolanda spelled out the security situation in the Warrap, extra-judicial killing of people without due legal processes and harassment, and said unless the situation changes, the SPLM/A-IO will pull out of Warrap State or may resort to be protected by a third party.
“In the light of the above, the governor has created unsafe environment for the constitutional post holders in the state. Our members are left with no option but to demand the following” Yolanda reads to media.
“If no change in the situation our members will withdraw from the state or request protection by the UNMISS” She continued.
The SPLM/A-IO leadership in Warrap state demands for opening of political and civil space and calls on the security organs to remain neutral and non-partisan.
“We demand for opening of political and civic space for all parties members in the state” She said.
“Call upon security organs to continue to be neutral and non-partisan” She added.
According to the SPLM/A-IO lawmakers they have nothing to do with the insecurity in the state and therefore they should not be accused.
“The SPLM/A-IO has got nothing to do with this extra-judicial killings” Yolanda said.
It’s not the first time for the SPLM-IO members to come to media to expose what they term as a “humiliation” and intimidations in multiple states that include Warrap, Northern Bhar el Ghazal, Unity State and also the administrative areas.
Last month the SPLM-IO Political Bureau issued a statement condemning mistreatment of its members in the three Administrative Areas.
