MALAKAL – Members of the Apadang community in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state have rejected the decision of President Salva Kiir last week to allocate the oil-rich state to the main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, led by Dr. Riek Machar Teny.
This comes after the presidency decided in a collegial process to divide the 10 states given Kiir’s SPLM-IG six states, and Machar his SPLM-IO three states including the Upper Nile state while the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) was given one state of Jonglei.
In an interview this afternoon with Sudans Post, a senior member of the Apadang community in Malakal said they have rejected the recent decision taken by Kiir and Machar and said they have written to the presidency over the issue.
“Our position is very clear,” the community leader said on condition of anonymity. “We reject the allocation of the Upper Nile state to an opposition group. We don’t trust the SPLM-IO.”
The official further explained that the allocation of the South Sudan state to the SPLM-IO will increase tensions between the already bitter communities of the Upper Nile state saying they have asked the president to give the state to the ruling SPLM faction led by Kiir himself.
“The decision of allocating the state to the SPLM-IO will complicate the situation which is already volatile in the states between the communities here,” the official further added.
