The Northern Bahr al Ghazal state SPLM Youth League secretary general Mayuol Diing strongly condemned the dissolving of the group’s leadership and appointment of new members.
He said the party gave no clear reasons for calling a convention to remove the league’s elected leaders.
Diing accused the party of dismissing the leaders because members were against the suspension of former caretaker governor Kuel Aguer Kuel. Kuel was dismissed by supporters of his predecessor, Paul Malong Awan, who retains control of the state’s SPLM party despite taking a military post in the capital Juba.
“All SPLM youth league members were supporters of the former governor Kuel Aguer Kuel,” Diing told Radio Tamazuj. “Kuel is a real leader. The party leadership headed by Malong Awan decided to remove youth leadership due to their support to Kuel Aguer Kuel.”
The former SPLM youth League Chairperson Garang Wol Kon was removed a few months ago allegedly due to his loyalty to Kuel.
The Youth League’s member on the Liberation Council, William Atak Garang, said the shuffle was unconstitutional. He said there was no directive from party chairperson General Salva Kiir that the youth league hold a convention to change the leadership.
“I condemned the formation of new leadership in the SPLM youth league,” Atak said. “It is not the time for conventions and formation of new leadership. There are some people who want to put Mading Aweil in problems but we do not want that to be.”
Atak said the people who came up with the formation of new leadership were involved in the expulsion of Kuel. The youth leader appealed to Kiir, who is also President of South Sudan, to intervene.