JUBA – Former South Sudan ambassador to the Russian Federation, Telar Ring Deng, has SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny to trade Western Equatoria state for Lakes state, pointing to the strategic importance of the state to the main armed opposition group, a senior opposition official has said.
The former diplomat who has switched sides several times during the past two years joined the SPLM-IO from the SPLM-IG earlier this year following the return of then rebel leader Dr. Riek Machar to the South Sudanese capital.
Reports have said that Telar Ring who is from Lakes state has been lobbying for the governorship of Lakes encouraging the SPLM-IO to trade the state with Western Equatoria state which he said was not significant to the group.
“Amb. Telar Ring Deng has requested the Chairman and Commander in Chief, the First Vice President H.E Dr. Riek Machar Teny to swap the state of Western Equatoria for Lakes because – according to him – it is of significance to the SPLM/A (IO),” the official closed to Machar told Sudans Post this morning from Juba.
The opposition official however said that Telar’s request has been turned down by Machar saying all the states are equal and are significant in the eye “of the people’s movement.”
