Chol Tong Mayay, the former governor of Lakes state, has denied leaving the SPLM-G10 ‘Former Detainees’ group in order to get a position with the SPLM government faction.
Chol left the G10 for Salva Kiir’s SPLM government faction last week after the G10 nominated John Luk Jok and Deng Alor Kuol for the group’s two cabinet positions.
“Nobody had promised me any position, and I also did not cease to be a member of the former detainees because of anything,” Chol said. “I just decided as a matter of principle to return to the mother SPLM because there is no reason to continue to remain outside when the reunification agreement has been implemented.”
Chol described Salva Kiir as “man of authority, experience and wisdom to lead us through these difficult years.”
The politician said his relationship with the other former detainees has always been well known and he wanted to make public his decision.
“Even as brothers, there are times you don’t agree and that does not mean you will not stay together,” he said. “The current war was a result of the differences within SPLM. Now these issues have been resolved.”
Chol said the Arusha Agreement to reunify the SPLM has been incorporated into the SPLM constitution passed by Kiir’s faction in an extraordinary convention earlier this month.
“This was why I did not see any reason to continue to remain outside SPLM,” he said.
File photo: Former Lakes state governor, Chol Mayay (Sudan Tribune)
Related:
‘Former detainee’ Chol Tong Mayay defects to Kiir’s SPLM faction (19 Jan.)