A deputy spokesman of the rebel group National Salvation Front (NAS) has resigned, citing what he called ethnic bias in the rebel movement.
Wazir Michael told Radio Tamazuj this evening that he resigned from the opposition group, saying he didn't agree with NAS leaders' use of "tribal agenda."
General Thomas Cirillo, who formed his own rebel faction after leaving the military in February 2017, has vowed to resist President Kiir’s administration. The group calls for a federal system of governance and devolution of powers to the states.
"I quit because some leaders within the NAS movement are trying to advance tribal agenda,” he said.
The rebel official said that his resignation stemmed from internal statements by senior members of the rebel faction against certain ethnic groups in South Sudan.
"We tried to tell them to stop tribal statements. We faced enormous challenges because we asked them to change such statements,” he said.
Michael said the NAS movement failed to define the type of federalism it wants in South Sudan. “During our recent leadership conference, we failed to define the type of the federal system we want in South Sudan,” he said.
“I can attribute the problem to the influential leaders in the party because they are trying to define federalism based on grievances related to land and other things,” he added.
“We are publicly calling for a federal state that brings together all tribes of South Sudan but our internal program has deviated because some of our leaders are trying to follow ethnic lines.”
Michael pointed out that a majority of NAS members support confederation which is a system of government in which two or more distinct political units keep their separate identity but transfer specified powers to a higher authority.
A spokesman for the NAS group could not immediately be reached for comment.