By Deng Machol
Juba – The leader of the National Movement for Change (NMC), Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro did a u – turn, dissolved his party and rejoined President Salva Kiir’s ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), after years of disagreement.
Mr Bakosoro is currently the Minister of Public Service and Human Resource Development in the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity(R-TGoNU), on the SSOA ticket, announced his decision on Thursday in Juba.
Mr Bakosoro, a former governor of Western Equatoria State in Equatoria regions for nearly seven years where he was a fierce critic of President Kiir’s government.
He formed the party he dissolved in 2017 to oppose the political roadmap of president Salva Kiir’s government.
According to observers, his defection could spell an end to his term as a cabinet minister owing to the requirements of the power-sharing arrangement.
Kiir’s camp described his interest in rejoining significant milestones to reconcile party members.
Bakosoro said he previously terminated his membership from the SPLM due to intimidation and assassination attempts from his political rivals.
“Several people might not imagine that I can take such a decision to return to the SPLM because of the humiliation and intimidations; hate characters assassination and all part of betrayal from our people, I had gone through, but I had to for the sake of history, the party and the country,”Bakosoro said.
He further said the move to join SPLM again is a community demand
“The decision to join SPLM was requested from the community and some senior leaders,” he said. A tough decision is taken for seeks unity. People should avoid history that will have effects on the next generation. People should be part of decision rather than to be part of the problem,”
Bakosoro called his supporters to embrace the NMC decision of merging back the party to SPLM for Unity of South Sudan.
“The decision we have taken can be positive or negative. It will have negative or positive effects from our brothers. But it is worthy taken,” said Bakosoro.Bakasoro left the ruling party SPLM before the 2010 elections in which he contested as an independent candidate. He defeated the then Western Equatoria State governor, Nunu Kumba.
Meanwhile; SPLM Acting Secretary-General Nunu Kumbu welcome back Bakosoro to the SPLM and urged political parties to return to the party. She acknowledged that the return of senior SPLM members to the party is in line with Arusha Agreement to reconcile SPLM liberators.
“I strongly believe that we will come together, we will unite, and we will take this country forward. I called upon all of you once again to leave the pass to the pass. Let us focus. Let us focus on our vision and our objectives. Let us work for peace,” said Nunu.
On 22 December 2015, Bakosoro was arrested after being summoned by NSS to their headquarters in Juba, four months after he was briefly arrested. President Salva Kiir had just fired him from his position as governor.
On April 27, 2016, the politician was released from detention in Juba without charge or trial.
There is no mention of whether he will also resign from the position of Minister of Public Service, a portfolio allocated to SSOA.
A unity government is now struggling and trying to forge unity, to restore peace and co – existence. Despite that peace deal remains fragile to national – conflict.
