The South Sudan Minister for Labor, Public Service and Human Resource Development, Lt. Gen. Duop Lam has resigned from the Transitional Government of National Unity and joined the armed opposition group of former Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar.
Gen. Duop issued his resignation letter on Friday morning saying he is out of the unity government with the effect from today.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, I Lt. Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam, the National Minister of Labor, Public Service and Human Resource Development with sound mind and excellent rule of reasoning, do here by officially resign from the so called partial government of unity,” part of his resignation letter seen by ChimpReports read.
The letter continued with the declaration of his allegiance to Machar’s group.
“With the effect from today 17th February 2017, I reaffirm my full allegiance and commitment to the SPLA (IO) under the wise leadership of H.E Dr. Riek Machar Teny.”
Gen. Duop was in SPLA (IO) before the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity. He became a minister from the Machar side when the unity government was put in place in April last year.
When Machar fled Juba in July last year after deadly fighting at State House commonly known as J1, Gen. Duop was among the ministers who remained in Juba.
The opposition ministers later appointed Gen. Taban Deng as their leader and the replacement of Machar.