Oct 15, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — The SPLM-IO’s National Chairperson for Information and Public Relations, and the former Minister of Interior, Mabior Garang de Mabior, has responded to earlier media reports on his resignation.
Earlier media reports that were based on a resignation memo that Mabior wrote to the SPLM-IO Leadership on October 7 and published today, October 15th, indicate that the former Minister is resigning from the position of the Chairman of Information and Public Relations.
This triggered Mabior to respond on twitter and through media interviews denying the claims as “fake news”
If there is no link to my website it is fake news. If I do resign a link to my website will be available.https://t.co/VYgqOBejA3
— Mabior Garang (@TaoOfGarang) October 15, 2020
“I debunked it long ago. Check the date. It is from July 12. Is there a link to my website? No. SK it is a fake news?… It is people within IO who are fabricating this propaganda” Mabior told Nyamilepedia.
Mabior then shared the link to the same memo, titled: Intention to resign as Chairperson of Information and Public Relations. Some parts of the memo reads as follow:
“In reference to the above subject, I am writing this memo to inform your Comradeship of my intention to resign from my position of Chairperson for Information and Public Relations.” Cde. Mabior Garang said.
“It has been a great honour serving the peoples’ movement from the time I was the deputy to Comrade Hussein Maar, to the time I was officially appointed as the Chairperson. I have learned a lot.” Mabior continued.
“As your senior Comradeship is aware, I have been meaning to resign since 2014 when I faced continued sabotage from the leadership, starting with the well documented conspiracy of Gen. Lulu Ruai. However, I was advised by countless Comrades – who have since resigned themselves – not to resign, as my contribution to the struggle was invaluable.” He added.
This is the memo that sparked confusion on Mabior’s resignation, which has been alleged a few times before but turned out not to be true.
The memo addressed Mabior’s intent to resign, so we decided to call him for more clarifications.
Mabior wants readers to read the last paragraph of the memo which says:
“There are many ways for citizens to participate in peace building and I intend to pursue these avenues. The struggle of our peoples is not the preserve of the SPLM (IO) nor of the SPLM (IG) – which are the same SPLM. I encourage my Comrades who remain in the political leadership to do some soul searching and return to the thankless work of freedom or risk becoming irrelevant. I will be offering my official resignation as National Chairperson for Information and Public Relations not too long after this memo.”
According to Mabior, the memo has been submitted to Dr. Riek Machar to decide whether to approve it or not.
At the time of this writing, Dr. Machar has not responded but Mabior hopes to have more discussions on this decision.
He said since he does not want to contradict the peace narrative or himself, he would rather serve in a different portfolio or remain as a regular member than continuing to serve as the Spokesperson of the Movement.
“I intend to resign only as the National Chairperson for Information and Public Relations and not as a founding member of the Movement.” Mabior declares.
He promises to remain as a member of the SPLM/A-IO.
“I shall remain as an ordinary member of the party until such a time the Movement has returned to the business of the peoples’ struggle. I will be ready to take up any assignment when there is call for it.” He added.
Mabior’s “unfinished luak” exemplum
Last month, in a different narrative, Mabior also dropped the “unfinished luak” exemplum in which he concludes by saying that since the storms are over, people who own the luak will remain with their luak [hurt].
“When the dark clouds of 2013 gathered and the bloody storm of December hit, we all ran for shelter in the “unfinished luak” called IO. The storm has now subsided and the people who own the luak have become known and they will remain with their luak.” Mabior wrote on September 5, 2020.
“We who sought shelter there must not be confused and think the luak belongs to us. It was a place for all of us to shelter from a deadly storm. The owners of the luak have said the storm is over and everyone must go to where they came from.” He continued.
In our conversation with Mabior, he regrets that there are people who are trying to kick him out of the movement but he refused to heed to their demands.
“The story is that the people who have hijacked the movement want to push me out. So they want to create confusion.” Mabior told Nyamilepedia.
Mabior believes that it is not impossible to resign but he would make his independent decision on when and how to resign, adding that it will not be “determined by the enemy from within”.
The former deputy minister of interior said he will make the second memo to Dr. Machar public next week.
