South Sudan's former labour minister said on Monday he had formed a group to challenge First Vice President Taban Deng, accusing him of dissolving the SPLM-IO faction without consultations.
Gathoth Gatkuoth Hothnyang was sacked by President Salva Kiir last year after he reportedly disagreed with Taban Deng Gai.
Gathoth told Radio Tamazuj this afternoon that his new organisation called SPLM/A-IO Interim Governing Council would negotiate with President Kiir to join the ruling party after three months.
Last week, first vice president, former rebel Taban Deng Gai, formally folded his SPLM/A-IO party into the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) of President Salva Kiir.
Gai split from opposition leader Riek Machar following fighting in Juba in 2016.
Gathoth, who had been part of the SPLM/A-IO faction led by Taban Deng Gai, said:" I am now the chairman of the Interim Governing Council of SPLM/A-IO. We will negotiate with President Kiir who is the chairman of the SPLM party so that we join the ruling party".
“We have disassociated ourselves from the committee nominated by Taban to devise mechanisms for reunification of SPLM,” he added.
However, Gathoth said he was ready to participate in the revitalised peace deal.
Gatkuoth further said his new group was formed to "salvage the SPLM/A-IO faction from the ruin under the leadership" of first vice president Taban Deng Gai.
“Taban has failed to deliver on the commitments the SPLM/A-IO made when joining the TGoNU in 2016. He also failed to bring peace, that’s why we have a revitalized version now,” he said.
The former minister also accused the first vice president of failing to put in place records of SPLA-IO fighters who have assembled for reintegration into the army.
“So our group will go separately to join the SPLM led by President Salva Kiir Mayardit. Most senior SPLM/A-IO officials are with me,” he said.
Radio Tamazuj’s calls to the office of the first vice president went unanswered.