The Minister of Foreign Affairs says Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior, the widow of the late S-P-L-M chairman, Dr. John Garang, is still an advisor to the President.
Dr. Barnaba Marial said Madam Rebecca Nyandeng has not been relieved from her position as Presidential advisor on Gender and human rights issues.
Dr. Marial told the BBC’s Focus on Africa that Rebecca De Mabior is also still a member of the S-P-L-M political bureau.
But he said Madam Rebecca had taken sides in the conflict in the country.
“We expected that Rebecca Garang – who, with due respect, is the mother of all the children of South Sudan both good and bad – for her to take sides to support the part of children and neglect others, and not act like a true mother, definitely, that is not the way to go about it,” exclaimed Dr Marial.
“But I must remind you, Rebecca Garang is still the Personal Advisor of the President, she is Advisor to the President of the Republic on Legal and Gender issues. So, she is still within the government.”
However, Rebecca Nyandeng denied taking sides in the country’s conflict.
Madam Rebecca said her grievances are within the S-P-L-M as a party, not with the government.
“When we started, we started on the wrong foot. Even service delivery was not done: building hospitals, building roads, building schools.
“I’ve raised these points and my grievances since we were in the party; even the Chairman and the President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, knows that I’ve been talking about them – the Constitution has not been put right, the Constitution of the party.
“I’ve not taken the side of anybody.”
Rebecca Garang said the talks in Addis Ababa should also tackle issues of reform within the S-P-L-M.