Former SPLM-IO Officials Vow To Consolidate SPLM in Warrap State

By Okech Francis

Former party mobilizers of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO), who recently defected to the SPLM led by President Salva Kiir have vowed to consolidate the presence of their new party at all levels in Warrap State.

About 566 SPLM-IO members last week crossed over to the SPLM party, citing corruption and mismanagement in the main opposition party in the country.

“We want to make sure no SPLM-IO exists in Warrap State because we just want peace,” Peter Paduol Mangong Paduol, a former Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement Agency in Warrap, who headed the defections told The Dawn in Juba.

“With the SPLM-IO, there has been no change so we decided to leave,” Paduol said noting that an attraction it had given earlier to change lives has not materialized.

“Now after our defection, we want to close all IO offices by ensuring no one wants to be a member of the IO in Warrap,” he added.

According to Paduol, “the vision, the value and the mission of SPLM is progressing very well” leading them to return to the party.

“Before, some individuals in the SPLM were marginalizing people leading us to join the other party but we realized we joined the wrong party,” he said.

“The SPLM leadership has understood about that and are working to change the party and now we are happy everyone now owns SPLM, not just individuals.”

William Deng Koor, a youth and former State Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement Agency in Warrap State under the SPLM-IO ticket said the SPLM has become very attractive to the youths.

“The SPLM is now recognizing the youths and giving opportunities to everyone,” Koor said.

“The youths are getting opportunities to be leaders, mostly in government positions even at the national level,” he added.