Garang Quits Machar Camp

By Wesley Spartan

Mabior Garang, the son of departed South Sudan founding father, John Garang, has abandoned rebel leader, Riek Machar to join G-10 – a group of former exiled SPLM top politicians who returned to Juba recently.
This followed a series of negotiations mediated by Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta.
Garang said “the leadership of IO (opposition) did not fall from the sky…it is us the same people that failed in Salva Kiir’s Administration that constitute the IO leadership…so if the G10 looted the country they did not do it alone…and there are some Comrades that are still looting even in the bush,” charged Garang in a veiled attack on Machar.
Header advertisement
It is understood that Machar is this week seeking eye treatment at a hospital in South Africa.
The eye disease has been hurting Machar for the last few years.
Machar’s health condition deteriorated in the last few months thus making several trips to the South African hospital.
However, opposition officials said he intended to hold a series of meetings with Heads-of-state on the sidelines of the African Union summit starting Sunday.
Garang said that “a divided opposition has never in the history of the world ever defeated the incumbent,” adding, “Further more, the SPLM can’t bring peace and stability to South Sudan alone.”
He observed that, “The thing that the hardliners in the government and the hardliners in the opposition have failed to recognize is (as the saying goes) that: “you don’t make peace with your friends…you make peace with your enemies”’.
A former close ally of Machar in the early days of the South Sudan rebellion, Garang said, “at the end of the day…if we are honest when we say we want “peace”…it is that person whom you hate…it is that person that you can’t stand…it is that person that you loath and can’t stand to look at or hear their voice that you make peace with…that is the very essence of peace…otherwise we are just deceiving ourselves…”
With South Sudan armed forces taking over most strategic areas from rebels up to the Heglig town at the border with Sudan, many believe President Kiir is gradually winning the war against Machar’s insurgents.
The fighting in South Sudan has killed thousands and pushed millions of people into refugee camps.