Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The former South Sudan National Youth Union chairperson, Gola Boyoi Gola says some officials misled David Yau-Yau to abandon the ruling party and join the armed opposition (SPLM-IO) of Riek Machar.
Gola, in a statement issued on Tuesday, claimed Yau-Yau made a bad decision.
“I am not happy with those who forced Yau Yau to leave the party by elbowing him. However, Yau Yau made a wrong political calculation by joining the IO and I want to assure the public that there are still many committed SPLM cadres in GPAA [Greater Pibor Administrative Area] who have the same level of influence and popularity as him, so his defection will not have any significant negative impact on our mighty party,” he noted.
Yau-Yau, a former Deputy Minister of Defense, announced his defection from President Salva Kiir’s SPLM and declared his allegiance to the armed opposition.
Speaking during a press conference held at the SPLM-IO General Secretariat in Juba on Monday, Yau Yau cited the need to secure the country as the reason for his decision. His group, the Cobra faction, signed a peace agreement with President Kiir’s government in 2014, ending a four-year civil war in Jonglei State.
Yau Yau expressed disappointment with the lack of full implementation of his agreement with the government and subsequent peace accords, blaming a lack of political will by the ruling SPLM party. He criticized the SPLM-led administration for governance failures, tribalism, and economic mismanagement.
“SPLM has failed to deliver on the promises for south Sudan’s independence. Since independence the condition of living in South Sudan has deteriorated even worse than when we were in the old Sudan. This has left our citizen questioning the purpose of the struggle for the independence of South Sudan. The SPLM has failed to govern and provide security throughout the country,” he said.
The former Chief Administrator of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) said that the Greater Pibor area remains impoverished and stressed the need for improved living conditions.
His defection will likely be a significant blow to Kiir’s election bid as Yau Yau forms a strong support base in the GPAA.
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