Ruweng chief administrator denies dumping Kiir for Machar

JUBA, JUNE 20, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – The chief administrator of Ruweng Administrative Area (RAA) Stephano Wieu De Mialek has denied claims that he has defected to the main armed opposition SPLM-IO under First Vice President Riek Machar.

South Sudanese activists on Monday and Tuesday circulated speculations that the member of the ruling SPLM faction led by President Salva Kiir Mayardit has secretly defected to the Machar-led SPLM-IO and plans to make it public on June 23.

But in a statement, Stephano’s office dismissed the speculations as “fake news” by people it described as “enemies of the Ruweng people” and said he is still in Parieng doing his normal business as loyal member of the SPLM under Kiir.

“This is fake news of the year 2023, and such propaganda is purely the work of the enemies of progress of the Ruweng people,” the statement said.

“H.E. Stephano Wieu de Mialek is a true cadre of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), committed to transforming the lives of the Ruweng people, under the leadership of H.E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of the Republic of South Sudan,” it added.

The statement said that Stephano’s government considers the speculations of his defection “as wishful thinking and false”.

“The language presented in this letter demonstrates the fakeness of the document as H.E. the Chief Administrator has a good command of the English language and has never made a mistake of misspelling his name Stefeno,” it added.