July 14th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – A senior member of South Sudan’s former political detainees, also known as SPLM-FDs, has resigned citing what he said is a shifting political stance of the group on the states issue.
The FDs is a group of SPLM senior officials who were opposed to President Salva Kiir’s policies. They were jailed at the onset of South Sudan’s conflict in December 2014 and were released at the first half of 2014 fleeing the country later on to engage the government in peace talks ongoing at the time in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
Since President Kiir created many states in October 2015, the former political detainees have been calling for the return of the country to the previous 10 states arguing that the division of the country into many tribal enclaves creates possible future disputes between tribes.
In a resignation letter addressed to Deng Alor Kuol who is the leader of FDs, Nyenagwek Kuol Mareng, member of the Independent Boundaries Commission (IBC) representing the FDs said she has been illegally removed by the group as member of the body for voting in favor of the return of South Sudan to ten states.
“It is worth mentioning that the initial position of the SPLM Leaders/FDs on the number of the states has been ‘returning to the 10 states prior to the infamous decree on states fragmentation’ This position has never been changed or adjusted and I strongly defended it until it gained popularity within the IBC members,” Mrs. Kuol wrote in a letter to Deng Alor dated 9th July 2019.
She accused the FDs leadership in Juba of changing its stance on the number of states as well as on the whole peace process. She said she was requested by the FDs to explain why her vote has been a matter of concern in the ongoing state controversy.
“Surprisingly, little did I know that “the personal interest by all means” as one FDs leader put it, has become the new driving motive and the SPLM Leaders/FDs have secretly changed their position not only on the number of the states in the IBC; but on the whole process of approaching a just and dignified resolution of the conflict in the Republic of South Sudan where the root cause should be addressed amicably regardless of the repercussion of that decision,” she wrote.
“In the process; I was requested by your esteemed office on July 1st 2019 to write an explanation letter because “the manner of FDs vote in the recent decision of the Independence Boundaries Commission (IBC) has become an issue of interest as well as a concern in many circles’,” she added.
The letter obtained by the Nyamilepedia revealed that Mrs. Kuol has been replaced in several positions which she has been holding on behalf of the political detainees as such she will not continue to serve in the group for what he calls an abrupt change of position on the number of states.
“This evening; July 9th 2019, the tip of the iceberg of the new political maneuver within the FDs appeared and I was served with multiple replacement letters from my different assignments where I represented the SPLM Leaders/FDs,” she said.
“In conclusion following the new trend of an abrupt and unexplainable change of political positions within the SPLM Leaders/FDs, I find myself as an alien, hence I am proudly tendering my resignation from SPLM Leaders/FDs with an immediate effect,” she concluded.
