Three Ministers, SPLM-IO Official Defect to SPLM in Wau

Three ministers and the deputy chairperson of the SPLM-IO in Western Bahr el Ghazal State have officially defected to the ruling SPLM party in Wau. The leaders are Agriculture Minister Valentino Akec Akuar, Information Minister Samuel Nicola, Housing Minister Peter Deng Mathew, and state lawmaker Yasir Buolla. They announced their decision during a ceremony at the SPLM office on Saturday. The former SPLM-IO ministers said they left the party because of tribalism, discrimination, and a lack of direction. Peter Deng Mathew said he returned to the SPLM because of its role in South Sudan's struggle for independence. The defectors were welcomed by the SPLM state chairperson, Edward Achom Apuoro. Following the defections, Governor Sharif Daniel Sharif suspended the two former SPLM-IO ministers.