‘I will never abandon Machar’ – Mabior Garang

JUBA – Mabior Garang de’ Mabior, a senior member of the SPLM-IO led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny denied reports that he was resigning from the SPLM-IO and said he will never abandon Machar IO calling those who faked his signature as enemies of peace.

South Sudan social media users circulated a two-page statement purportedly signed by Mabior Garang announcing his resignation from the SPLM-IO and accusing Machar of nepotism for the appointment of his wife as defense minister, failure to implement the security arrangements among other allegations.

In a swift response to the false statement, Mabior who is also the SPLM-IO spokesman and a former deputy interior minister denounced what he calls “mischief” adding he would respond only for the sake of “our young men and women in the SPLA-IO” adding he does not want them to be confused by “this fabricated statement.”

“What you are hearing – concerning my abandoning the peoples’ Movement – is fake news and wishful thinking from the intellectual mercenaries of the NPTC regime in Juba,” Mabior Garang said.

The son of the SPLM historical leader pledged to write about those behind the statement and urged the movement’s youth to focus on “learning the provisions of the Agreement so that we can use it against the NPTC regime which has hijacked the peace process,” he said.

The National Pre-Transitional Committee is tasked with the oversight and coordination of the implementation of the activities of the pre-transitional period.

On 3 June 2020, Mabior addressed a letter to Machar announcing his resignation from the position as deputy minister of interior to protest the government’s failure to implement the security arrangement.

“I shall remain a member of our peoples’ struggle until we achieve our objective of bringing about a fundamental change in our country,” he further stressed.