Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Sudan People Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) has dismissed the allegation that it incited youth in Fangak County in Jonglei to chase away the SPLM-IG peace delegation.
It all started when the SPLM Youth League in Jonglei State accused the SPLM-IO of inciting the youth in Fangak to threaten their delegates on peace missions in the area. They claimed the Fangak youth allegedly gave the SPLM peace delegates 24 hours to leave the area.
Speaking to The City Review, Makuei Achol, SPLM Youth League Chairperson in Jonglei State, accused Fangak County Commissioner, who is from SPLM-IO, of threatening their members who were on a peace mission.
“The SPLM delegation led by Hon Nyaboth Rambang Mabor and which included the SPLM Youth League Secretary General of Jonglei State, Cde Kueth Thou Riak, was given a 24-hour ultimatum to leave the area by local youth incited by county authorities; this is not the first time it has been happening in counties under SPLM-IO in Jonglei State,” Makuei said.
He blamed Fangak County for mobilising the youth to block SPLM members from carrying out their activities in the county.
When asked, Amer Alier, the chairperson of SPLM-IO in Jonglei State, dismissed the allegation, saying that the disagreement was among SPLM members themselves.
“We did not incite the youth to threaten anyone; what happened in Fangak County was that SPLM IG delegates who were sent to the area for political mobilisation disagreed among themselves,” Amer said.
She said that the Fangak commissioner and SPLM-IO authorities in the area continue to respect the directives of President Salva Kiir that called for free political space.
“Although Fangak is under SPLM-IO, we shall always respect other political parties, and we will allow them to conduct their activities,” she said.
Amer stated that the Fangak county commissioner was innocent, as accusations against him surfaced when they were in Bor Jonglei State.
“SPLM-IG in Jonglei State just accused the commissioner of Fangak of citing youth, but the commissioner was in headquarters attending a workshop,” she said.
Amer appealed to SPLM-IG to stop accusing SPLM-IO of things they were not involved in.
He added that SPLM-IO, as a peace party, would remain committed to the implementation of the peace agreement and the need for free political space in all areas across the country.
Meanwhile, during the governor’s forum last year, President Salva Kiir called on the state governors and chief administrators to ensure that all political parties are given space to do their political activities without interruption or blockage.
Early this year, a civil society activist appealed to President Salva Kiir to ensure that state governors and chief administrators respect the idea of free civil and political space.
This came after several incidents amounting to restrictions on civic and political space were reported to have been happening between the parties to the peace agreement.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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