Activist urges Peter Lam to apologize and resign over controversial remarks

JUBA, MARCH 21, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – An outspoken South Sudanese activist is urging the secretary-general of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Peter Lam Both to apologize to the citizens and resign from his position over this week’s controversial remarks.

This comes after Peter Lam claimed on Sunday that first vice president and leader of the main armed opposition SPLM-IO “Riek Machar has declared war against the Dinka” people and that the Nuer community are following him because of his war intentions against the Dinka.

But speaking to journalists on Tuesday morning, Bol Makueng, SPLM Secretary for External Affairs, said the senior party member was talking of what Machar has been telling his fighters and went on to accuse him, Thomas Cirilo, Pagan Amum, and Paul Malong of being behind the ethnic violence in the country.

But in an email to Sudans Post, Activist Bol Deng Bol said the statement is in the public record and cannot be hidden, denied, or justified and said the SPLM Secretary-General should have used the press conference as a mean of communicating his apology and subsequent resignation to the citizens.

“The SPLM-IG is said to have held a press conference to clarify the recent SG Peter Lam Both’s hate speech in updating speech towards SPLM-IO Chairman, Dr. Riek and tribal incitement. The statement is on record. It can’t be SUGARCOATED, ALTERED or JUSTIFIED,” Bol said.

The activist who is the Chairperson of Jonglei State Civil Society Network (JSCSN) and Executive Director of Intrepid South Sudan further said “the best thing Peter Lam should have done is to use this press conference as an opportunity to instead apologize to the public and communicate his resignation plan.”