16 SPLM-IO officials defect to Kiir in Unity State

BENTIU – At least sixteen members of South Sudan’s main armed opposition Sudan People Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by First Vice President Riek Machar have defected to the ruling SPLM faction under President Kiir in Unity State.

Speaking during a declaration in Guit on Monday morning, Gany Chigai Chiok the group’s leader and now a former SPLM-IO chair in Guit, said he defected with fifteen other members of the SPLM-IO, claiming that the group has abandoned its vision.

“We are sixteen members and the reasons why we have decided to defect from Sudan people Liberation Movement in opposition SPLM-IO was because were abandoned without clear mission, mandates and updates,” he said.

The former opposition official said they are defecting to the ruling party because it envisions peace and development in the world’s youngest country.

“We have defected to Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Government (SPLM-IG), and we need a developmental leader who can bring lasting peace, development such as hospital and schools in Unity state and in Guit county,” he added.

The official went on to express frustration with the ongoing violence across the country and called on the public to go to polls in December so that they elect the leaders they want to government South Sudan.

“If leaders are not tired of war, [then] civilians are tired of distracted war. It’s time for peace, unity and time for South Sudanese citizens to elect leaders they want,” he said.

“I urge the citizens of South Sudan to participate in [the] upcoming general election and make sure they elect developmental and peaceful leaders of South Sudan,” he added.

Among the defectors were three traditional chiefs and SPLM-IO supporters. Chiok further concluded by denying any pressure on the group to defect from the Guit county commissioner.