12 high-ranking military officers defect from Machar’s SPLA-IO  

JUBA – At least 12 senior members of the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny have declared their intention to leave the group and join the South Sudan United Movement/Army led by Jonglei Governor Denay Jock Chagor.

Major Joseph Tut Turuk, the commanding officer of the defecting forces, said that they have decided to abandon Machar over marginalization and have decided to join the South Sudan United Movement led by the governor of Jonglei State.

“We defected from SPLA-IO under Riek Machar to join SSUM/A because of our interest. We have been in SPLA-IO since 2014, and since the agreement was signed, some of us who are officers felt that we are left out. So, we decided that we defect. We are 12 officers who defected,” he said.

For his part, Wany Bum, a senior member of SSUM, confirmed the receipt of the defectors.

“On 23 this month, a group of officers affiliated to SPLA-IO under Dr. Machar pledged their allegiance to SSUM under the chairmanship of Denay Jock Chagor.  We received and welcomed them, and now they are part and parcel of our forces,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Khor Nyang Mabor, a spokesperson of the SPLA-IO’s third sector based in Jonglei, downplayed the defection.

“As a sector three command, we don’t have any report about such defection. It is something that needs to be confirmed if it happened,” he said. “But in our command, we don’t have such ranks. Sometimes, those are militia groups who give themselves ranks when integrated.”