The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Party in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) on Tuesday said the party remains united and is ready for the 2024 polls despite the recent defection by the area’s founding father, Gen. David Yau Yau, to the SPLM-IO.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj Tuesday, Tony Thopia, the acting SPLM secretary for political affairs in GPAA, said the party is unmoved by Yau Yau’s decision.

“We were shocked yesterday (Monday) by the news that our senior cadre, David Yau Yau, joined the SPLM-IO,” he said. “So, this morning, we met at the SPLM Party secretariat to declare our stand that the decision by Yau Yau is unilateral and has nothing to do with the SPLM caucus in GPAA or SPLM supporters here.”

According to Thopia, the SPLM Party members remain committed and hope to win the anticipated elections.

“We want to alert the public not to panic. We are committed to the SPLM Party values and we will win in the elections later this year and we will move ahead with our activities on peace and unity,” he added.

For his part, GPAA Information Minister Abraham Kelang downplayed Yau Yau’s decision and said that it was informed by political ambitions.

“Yau Yau held several positions while in the SPLM Party, including as a GPAA chief administrator, governor, deputy defense minister, and deputy labor minister. Him saying today that SPLM has failed is a desperate decision out of thirst for power,” he said. “The liberation of GPAA was done by the community, not Yau Yau as an individual because he was just leading the community at the time.”

“His decision will not affect the support for the SPLM Party in GPAA because he just defected with his family members and bodyguards and Yau Yau has no basis here,” Minister Kelang added.  

Gen. Yau Yau announced his defection from the SPLM Party to Dr. Riek Machar’s SPLM-IO on Monday at a press conference in Juba.