Kuol Manyang threatens to sue Facebook page over claims he supports anti-Kiir protests

JUBA – President Salva Kiir’s senior presidential advisor and former minister of defense Kuol Manyang Juuk has threatened to sue a local Facebook news page over a report in which the page claimed that Manyang, senior SPLM member Daniel Awet Akot, and Vice-President for Economic Cluster, Dr. James Wani Igga, are supporting the planned protest against the government of President Kiir Mayardit slated for August 30.

Juba Daily News, a Facebook page running stories on South Sudan, had last week reported, quoting unnamed members of the People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA), that the three senior government officials had informed the PCCA that they support the protest anti-Kiir protests.

Speaking to a local radio station this week, Manyang denied that he support the protest and asked why he would choose to follow the activists if he were to support the protest organizer given his previous senior government roles adding that he never spoke to anyone from the protest organizers and has also asked Awet and Wani if anyone of them spoke to the PCCA activists.

“We never talked to any of them and I think they want to see leading figures [within the SPLM] using their fame to raise the people to join them and since Kuol is there and so those who admire Kuol or Gen. Wani will them also. They have never talked to me and I not even support such an action,” he said.

“This is my position and I have asked Cde Awet [Akot] and he said nobody talked to him. If I was against the leadership of President Salva Kiir or chairman of the SPLM, why should they (activists) be the one to lead the People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA)? Why should it not be me? If I am against the government of the party, it should have been me leading it and I will just go openly, resign from the SPLM and form my own party,” he added.

He threaten the news page to reveal the identity of the PCCA activist who gave the information failure of which, he said, will lead to lawsuit because it is a crime to quote unreliable sources against others.

“This is a crime and I want the Juba daily news that published this, even putting my picture, my photo attaching it there, I want them to tell me who told them that I am with this group and then I will take measures against that person, I will challenge him to produce to me the evidences where they talked to me. If not, then also apology I will need from them, Juba Daily News, or from those who get the information,” he said.

He said they have 72 hours to do what he has demanded or else he will resort to the rule of law.

“If not, I have given them 72 hours, to do the apology if they don’t get me that person or apologize, then I will take them to court,” he concluded.