‘I’ll continue serving as minister,’ vows Bakosoro after decamping to SPLM

Former Governor of Western Equatoria State and the current minister of public service Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro has said he has no intention of ditching the docket after rejoining the ruling SPLM party.

The City Review got hold of a short video clip depicting the minister explaining his defection on Thursday. Bakosoro is the leader of the National Movement for Change (NMC) party which operated under the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) in the 2018 power-sharing arrangement.

But according to the minister, his defection will not in any way affect the implementation of the peace agreement; and neither will it force him to step down as a cabinet minister. He said he is under no obligation to step down.

‘‘SSOA is not an entity by itself. It is a consortium of a united group of many different parties. So SSOA will continue to operate as an umbrella but each party can make a decision of its own,’’ he told the media on Thursday.  

He proceeded to say: ‘‘I am not losing [my seat] because that is my property. The property was given to us as NMC. We sell it. We own it. We can move with it as long as the peace implementation is moving forward. This is our property as NMC and it is not for SSOA.’’

SPLM facilitated the move

SPLM Political Affairs Secretary Kuol Atem Bol told The City Review that Bakosoro joined the ruling party on Thursday with his members and the military wing.  

Bol did not mention the names and the number of individuals who decamped with the minister but further confirmed that the defection was aided by the office of the president.

“The process was carried out through the office of the president and the head of the party, comrade Salva Kiir Mayardit, and an official large event will be organized in the next few days,” Bol said.

Bol said Bakosoro had reconciled with persons who contributed to his exit from SPLM.

“Bakosoro is one of the loyal personalities of the party. He mentioned that he had had a disagreement with some members of the party previously, which led him to abandon the party, but he did not hold any grudges or disagreements toward the party,” he said.