The head of a state-level labor commission in South Sudan’s Lakes State resigned this week, citing political persecution against allies of First Vice President Riek Machar, who was placed under house arrest in Juba on March 26 and is now suspended and facing charges in a special court.
Majok Maluong, the former chairperson of the state’s Employees Justice Chamber, said he stepped down because officials loyal to the breakaway faction of the SPLM-IO calling itself the interim leadership, are mistreating members who remain faithful to Machar.
In April, a faction of the SPLM-IO established an interim leadership under Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol, which stated it remained committed to the 2018 peace deal and pledged to work with President Salva Kiir’s government.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Thursday, Maluong said he submitted his resignation to Lakes State Governor Rin Tueny Mabor on Tuesday. He attributed his decision to the party rift that emerged after Machar and other SPLM-IO officials were arrested in the capital, Juba, earlier this year.
“For us who are loyalists, and myself who is still a loyalist to our chairman, First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, it is not our understanding to join the interim leadership team who betrayed our chairman,” Maluong said.
He alleged that the interim leadership, under Par Kuol, is working with the state government to target Machar’s supporters.
“The reason I resigned is because most leaders who are loyal to Dr. Riek Machar are being mistreated. Some are arrested in Lakes State and the majority of them are dismissed or sent out of their duties,” Maluong said.
He claimed the environment has become untenable, with officials pressured to declare allegiance to the interim leadership to keep their jobs. “If you are loyal to Par [Kuol], then you are safe in the government,” he said. “If you are loyal to the real leadership under Dr. Riek Machar, then the SPLM-IO interim leadership of Par Kuol will collaborate with the government and they can arrest or send you out.”
Maluong also said he believed Governor Rin Tueny Mabor was planning to remove him from his post regardless. “Governor Rin Tueny wants to reshuffle me out of his government because I am an SPLM-IO supporter of Dr. Riek Machar and not Par Kuol’s SPLM-IO interim leadership,” he said.
He stated that he resigned to avoid constant political pressure and to protest Machar’s detention.
“My message is that we need the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement by releasing First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar because this case is politically motivated,” Maluong said.
There was no immediate comment from the Lakes State government or the SPLM-IO interim leadership on the allegations.