The rebel faction National Salvation Front (NAS) has hit back at its former deputy spokesman, Wazir Michael, who resigned Tuesday over alleged ethnic bias in the movement.
NAS spokesman Suba Samuel Manase told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that their rebel group has scrupulously observed a policy of inclusivity since its inception.
General Thomas Cirillo, who formed his own opposition movement after leaving the government in February 2017, has vowed to resist the government. His faction calls for a federal system of government in South Sudan.
Suba hit back at his former deputy, saying Wazir “didn’t tell the facts in his resignation letter”.
“Wazir has never complained about something in the NAS movement and we didn’t have differences over political issues in the party,” he said.
“The allegations that the movement is against certain ethnic groups in the country are baseless. Nobody is against certain tribes in the movement and Wazir himself was part of the recent leadership conference,” he added.
Suba said that their rebel movement discourages policies that serve to polarize South Sudanese society along ethnic lines.
The opposition official denied the allegations that a majority of NAS leaders demand for confederation which is a system of government in which distinct political units keep their separate identity but transfer specified powers to a central government.
The spokesman explained that they had clearly defined the type of federalism they want to apply in South Sudan but procedural matters are yet to be finalised.
“During our recent conference, we extensively discussed the federalism system of governance, and we agreed on the type of the federal system we want. Wazir Michael was part of the conference and presented a paper on federalism,” he said.
“But we are still working on the principles of federalism and then engage the other political forces until we agree on the federal system we want. Our secretariat is now working on the framework of the federal system we want,” he added.