Gen. Gathoth Gatkuoth denies joining Kiir’s party, to seek public office in 2024 elections

JUBA, APRIL 13, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – In a surprising turn of events, Gen. Gathoth Gatkuoth, a member of the defunct SPLM-IO (Taban) faction, has denied joining the SPLM party under President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

This comes three years after the former SPLM-IO commander told journalists following a meeting with President Kiir at the presidency that he had dissolved his faction and joined the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).

Bur speaking to Sudans Post in an interview on Wednesday, Gen. Gathoth stated that what he did was to enter a coalition with the SPLM under Kiir, and that it is VP Taban Deng’s group who has joined the SPLM party.

“No, I have not joined [the SPLM]. We actually formed a coalition with the SPLM under the leadership of President Kiir,” he said.

“It is Taban group that joined the SPLM cocktail. But my group still has weight because we have not even signed the coalition agreement and whatever, and this is what makes things now difficult,” he added.

Gen. Gathoth also revealed that he and his group plan to run for public office in the anticipated 2024 elections, which will be the first since South Sudan gained independence.

In the interview, Gathoth expresses frustration with the current political situation in the country and stated that he and his group have been “tormented” by Peter Lam Both and Nunu Kumba, and as a result, he no longer holds a position in the government.

 

The controversial former opposition commander further highlighted that members of parliament who belonged to his party have also been taken out, emphasizing the messy state of affairs in the government.

“Even now, I have no position in the government, and all my people who were there, and my members, have been dismissed out by Peter Lam Both and Nunu Kumba. So, my MPs have been taken out, even myself I don’t have an executive position whether in the national or state [government],” he said.

“This thing has become a mess actually, and we also need to understand what do we do next,” he added.