South Sudan’s ruling SPLM dissolves entire party structures

October 16, 2015 (JUBA) – In an unexpected move, South Sudan’s ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) has dissolved all its leadership structures, declaring all positions vacant with the only exception of the office of president Salva Kiir, the party chairman. The move occurred on Friday in an extraordinary lengthy meeting of the party leadership chaired by Kiir.

Martin Majut Yaak, who served as secretary for syndicated and popular mobilization till today, broke the new development to reporters after the meeting, revealing that all the structures of the SPLM were now declared empty and an appointment will be made by the chairman in 30 days.

“As I talk to you (reporters) now, I am a former secretary for syndicated and popular mobilization,” said Majut, speaking to reporters in J1 – the presidential palace where the meeting was held in Juba.

“After thirty days, the chairman (President Salva Kiir) will appoint people to the position of secretary general, deputy chairman and others,” said Majut.

He could not however explain the circumstances that led to the dissolution of the party’s political bureau and the national liberation council.

The sudden decision is expected to have great impact on the inter-SPLM party dialogue which sought to maintain the leadership prior to December 2013 crisis in the young country.

The dissolution of the SPLM structures was a factor that led to the current crisis when president Kiir in November 2013 decided to suspend the structures of the party with the exception of his seat. The decision faced stiff resistance from members of the leadership who argued the president had no power to dissolve the structures as well as save his seat.

This latest move amidst implementation of the peace agreement indicated that the opposition leader, Riek Machar, and incumbent vice president, James Wani Igga, are no longer the deputies to Kiir. Pagan Amum, who was also recently reinstated to the position of secretary general has again lost the post.

SPLM had ruled South Sudan since 2005 since a peace agreement was signed with Sudan. President Kiir became chairman after John Garang, the founding leader of the SPLM in 1983, died in a Ugandan helicopter crash in July 2015 – twenty days after he was sworn in as Sudan First Vice President and President of the government of Southern Sudan.

The SPLM won an outright majority in Southern Sudan parliament in 2010 elections – a position it maintained after independence from Sudan in 2011. However, an internal power struggle triggered a civil war in December 2013 between President Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed, two million displaced and four million others left at the verge of starvation.

The SPLM split into that led by President Kiir, armed SPLM in opposition headed by Machar and former detainees led by Pagam Amum. An agreement in Arusha in January 2015 merged the three versions. But Friday’s decision appeared to have broken the spine of reunification.

Observers said the decision is likely to jeopardize the peace agreement aimed at ending the war that was signed in August and reunify the party.

It is seen as a strategy to throw out from the party leadership unwanted officials and bring in some faces seen to be more loyal to the country’s leadership.

(ST)