The leadership of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In-Opposition (SPM-IO) in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State on Tuesday took to arguing on local radio stations soon after the party disclosed a partial reshuffle which affected high-ranking members in the state.
On 22 August, SPLM-IO Chairman, Dr. Riek Machar issued an order removing Dominic Okech Lueth as the deputy chairperson of the party in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and Garang Wol Kon as the outfit’s state secretary general.
They were replaced by Yel Lual Angok and Daniel Akot Akot respectively who started work immediately.
However, on Tuesday morning, the former state secretary general, Garang Wol Kon, announced that he resigned from the position due to the lack of cooperation and mistreatment by the party’s top leaders in Juba.
“I did not resign from the SPLM-IO but I have resigned from being the state SPLM-IO Sectary-General. I am now an ordinary member of the party since 17 August 2023,” he explained. “I decided this because I am not allowed to perform my duties, roles, and responsibilities which were hijacked by Deng Deng Akoon, the Speaker of the Council of States in Juba.”
When asked why he did not resign before his removal from office, he said the plan was there and that even Dr. Machar was aware of it, a claim that Radio Tamazuj could not independently verify.
For his part, the new SPLM-IO Sectary-General in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Daniel Akot Akot, confirmed that he was appointed alongside the new state deputy chairperson on 22 August by First Vice President and Chairman of the SPLM-IO in Juba.
“I am the newly appointed state SPLM-IO Secretary General in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State,” he said. “The appointment was done last week by the Office of the First Vice President and the Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) Dr. Riek Machar.”
“On Tuesday 29 August, I was given the appointment letter,” Akot added.
Reacting to the claims by his predecessor that he resigned, Akot said the former secretary general wanted to divert public attention and his statement was not true.
“What I can simply say about the document designed by the former secretary general is that it is null, void, and untrue because he was officially relieved from his duties as SPLM-IO Secretary General for Northern Bahr el Ghazal State,” he said. “He is trying to do is to divert and attract the public attention. Any letter circulated to any media houses about this is considered null and void.”
Meanwhile, Tereza Achol Bilwan, an SPLM-IO parliamentarian, said that the changes were normal and happen in every system.
“There were routine changes that happened in the office by Chairman Dr. Riek Machar because changes are normally made in every institution. The former secretary general was replaced with a Member of Parliament, Daniel Akot Akot,” she said.
Achol, a civil society activist turned politician, faulted party members for quitting when dropped from top party offices.