Kuol Manyang says he ‘don’t’ oppose Kiir but says ‘facts’

JUBA – South Sudan’s former defense minister and senior presidential advisor Kuol Manyang Juuk has said that he is not opposing President Salva Kiir Mayardit and not looking for his seat, but only saying the facts about what the ruling SPLM party has been doing since the days of liberation.

Since last year, Manyang has been advising President Kiir to resign and handover the power to the young generation saying the SPLM, which led decades of liberation war against the Khartoum regime, was failing and also killing the people of South Sudan who expected better life.

Manyang said in a statement yesterday that the crises of power greed resulted in the split within the liberation struggle between 1955 and 2013 when South Sudan plunged to deadly civil war following power struggle in the ruling SPLM party.

“My statements to the media are facts we all know as citizens of South Sudan. These crises were there within the Southern Sudanese that was why there were many liberation movements during the 17 years long war of liberation struggle (1955‐1972),” Manyang said.

“It is the same attitude towards ourselves that resulted to breaking up of Southern Sudan Government in 1983. It is the same attitude that caused the split of the SPSM/A in 1991. It is the same attitude that caused war amongst ourselves in year 2013 and 2016. It is the same attitude we are now unable to implement the REVITALISED AGREEMENT ON THE RESOLUTION OF CONFLICT IN SOUTH SUDAN,” he added.

He urged the citizens “never take me to be opposed to Comrade Salva Kiir Mayardit whom the People of South Sudan elected to be the President and was elected by the SPLM NATIONAL CONGRESS. I am advising those who are near President Kiir not to tell lies to His Excellency about me.”

“I am equally telling those who want me to publicly announce my opposition to President Kiir. I am not opposed to Him and will never do so. Those who want my position of Presidential Advisor can go to the President and I’ll be happy to go home and stay with my family and join private sector of business.”