‘We are waiting for directives from Gen. Gatwech to reorganize SPLM-IO ‘ – Mabior Garang

JUBA – SPLM-IO’s former Chairman of National Committee for Information and Public Relations Mabior Garang De Mabior has said that senior opposition members who recently declared allegiance to the Kitgwang faction of the main armed opposition group are awaiting directives to reorganize from General Simon Gatwech Dual, the leader of the Kitgwang faction.

This comes following weeks of tensions within the SPLM-IO that followed the declaration by General Simon Gatwech Dual in which he attempted to remove First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny from the leadership of the movement and declare himself the new leader of the SPLM-IO.

In a statement extended to Sudans Post yesterday, Mabior Garang said the group is commitment to the revitalized peace agreement signed by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny and President Salva Kiir Mayardit along with other opposition groups in South Sudan in September 2018, but said they are waiting for directives from General Gatwech to reorganize the movement.

“We are fully committed to a peaceful resolution to the internal political contradictions in our Movement and are ready to make revolutionary corrections. We are also committed to the resolutions of the IGAD,” he said in the statement, referring to a call by the regional bloc for the SPLM-IO factions to settle internal disputes without the use of force.

“After the military takeover, we are awaiting directives from the new Commander in Chief to give us directives to reorganize the movement politically and start the genuine search for peace,” Mabior who resigned as deputy minister of interior last year added.

He slammed as untrue that the SPLM-IO faction in Juba led by Machar is implementing the revitalized peace agreement, saying South Sudanese are still suffering in internal camps almost three years into the signing of the revitalized peace agreement.

“The SPLM-IO (Juba group) claims to be implementing peace despite the fact that after three years, our civil populations are still languishing in PoCs, refugee camps or suffering the brutality of inter-communal violence in our cattle camps and in the villages,” he added.