South Sudan’s Ruling Party’s Official Resigns Over Vice President’s ‘Leadership Failure’

A top official of South Sudan’s ruling party, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), Peter Tingo, has accused the North African nation’s vice president, Riek Machar, of leadership failure.

Tingo, the SPLM-IO Secretary General, tendered his resignation from the post and the party on Tuesday after serving in the role for four years. In his resignation letter, he accused Mr Machar of failing to “display good leadership”, running the party without consultations and a lack of transparency.

Mr Machar’s office has not responded to the accusations.

“I have resigned from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) as of today Tuesday 10th November 2020, following your lack of display of good leadership,” Tingo wrote.

“I have spent seven years working along your side as Deputy Secretary for Agriculture, and governor of Wau Federal state from 2014 to 2016 and as SPLM-IO Secretary-general from 2016 to November 2020. During these seven years working with you, you have handled the movement single-handedly which led to a lack of progress in the movement.”

He added Dr. Machar ran the movement without transparency in decision making and did not respect institutional structures established by the party’s constitution.

“I have informed Your Excellency several times that you needed to change the style of your leadership in leading the movement, otherwise, I will resign, but you have proved beyond doubt that you cannot reform the party system,” Tingo continued.

He said his resignation will not affect the implementation of a peace agreement signed by Mr Machar and his political rival President Salva Kiirin February after years of conflict.