By Cde Lokai Iko Loteyo,
Jan 18, 2017(Nyamilepedia) —– I, Cde. Lokai Iko Loteyo, the Former Chairman of SPLM Party Kapoeta North County 2008–2016, Former Commissioner of Kapoeta North County 2010-2014 and Former Minister of Local Government, Eastern Equatoria State 2014-2015, hereby announce my defection from the SPLM-In Government under the leadership of President Salva Kiir to the SPLM-In Opposition under the astute leadership of H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny.
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This decision has not been easy to take, especially given the sacrifices that we, as South Sudanese, have had to make as an SPLM/A movement. However, given the trajectory that this country is heading to, under the second-rate leadership of President Kiir, I, having come from a revered and renowned family in Kapoeta State, therefore, believe that I can no longer continue to support or be affiliated with such a government for the following compelling reasons:
 The leadership has betrayed the core founding values, objectives, goals and vision of the SPLM party. As of now, this historic party, and government (Government of South Sudan), have been infiltrated and run by the enemies and agents of hostile parties to the interests of the people of South Sudan during the liberation.
 Unabated massive corruption and kleptocracy, wihich has been led to lack of service delivery (no functining roads, schools, hospitals, etc) and increasingly criminal activity throughout the country.
 Through false rhetoric and deceit, the SPLM leadership in Juba created the current war that has culminated into loss of thousands of innocent lives, destruction of properties, massive internal & external displacements of people, leaving behind a bitterly divided and polarised country.
 The SPLM leadership has been arrogantly and bullishly insensitive to the demands, plight and pain of the ordinary South Sudanese people.
 President Kiir’s government has tribalized the national army (SPLA) by recruiting his own notorious tribesmen (locally known in Dinka language as Mathiang Anyoor), who have been largely responsible for the mass killings of innocent citizens and raping of women throughout the country. The heads of most the organised forces (South Sudan Police Service, Wildlife Service, Prison Service and the National Army (SPLA) are all from his own tribe, without considering other communities.
 In addition, the President has deliberately restricted humanitarian access to those trapped in war-affected areas, hence using famine and diseases as weapons of war.
 The SPLM under the leadership of President Salva Kiir has become a propaganda machine; full of lies, and lacks integrity and credibility that it once used to be synonymous with. The launching of the so-called South Sudan National Dialogue (SSND), which in every sense of the word is an internal monologue between the SPLM-IG and its cohorts of affiliates, has been framed and designed in such a way that mirrors what the NIF of Sudan regime used to call peace from within, which excluded its main opponent, the SPLM/A. The ‘peace from within’ pronouncement ended up costing Khartoum huge amounts of resources, and finally failed. They eventually abandoned it and signed a comprehensive agreement with their main opponent, the SPLM/A, which consequently led to the birth of South Sudan.
 President Kiir has personally sanctioned the horrendous massacres of the people from the greater Equatoria region (Eastern, Central and Western Equatoria) as well as in Upper Nile State, Jonglie State, Unity State and Western Bhar el Ghazal State.
 The enactment of repressive security laws is an indication that the SPLM-IG is not pro-people, as it has severely curtailed cardinal values such as democracy, freedom of movement/Free expression/association, transparency and accountability.
 Finally, following the signing of the compromise peace agreement in August 2015, there was genuine hope that peace was returning to South Sudan. However, the SPLM-IG, given its well-publicised ‘reservations’, had an evil plan to assassinate Dr Riek Machar. Hence, they completely abrogated and derailed the peace agreement and continued with the war path in order to maintain the status quo.
As a way forward, it’s important that the government in Juba must recognize that genuine peace in South Sudan can only come through the participation of all stakeholders, and cognizant of all provisions of the ARCISS as agreed in August 2015. This participatory approach must be genuine, inclusive, transparent, fair and with no single party maintaining monopoly over others.
Thank you for your attention.
Viva Dr. Riek Machar!
Viva SPLM/SPLA- IO!
Viva South Sudan!
Cde. Lokai Iko Loteyo
Former Chairman of SPLM Party Kapoeta North County 2008 – 2016
Former Commissioner of Kapoeta North County – 2010-2014
Former Minister of Local Government, Eastern Equatoria State 2013- 2014
Former Minister of Trade and Investment, Eastern Equatoria State – 2014
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