BREAKING: SPLA-IO commander who was at the epicenter of the 2013 Juba fighting abandons Machar

JUBA – South Sudan main armed opposition commander, General Peter Lok Tang, who who was at the epicenter of the December 2013 fighting in Juba has abandoned Dr. Riek Machar and vowed to fight for rights of people he said have been left behind by Machar.

General Lok, who was one of the commanders who started fighting in Qiada’s military barrack in Juba said in a statement extended to Sudans Post this afternoon that he no longer loyal to Machar.

“Based on numerous humiliations that have been happening in the SPLM/A-IO of Riek Machar, I Gen. Peter Lok Tang Reat and other senior officers from today the 18 of November 2020 denounce our attachment with SPLM/A 1-0 of Riek Machar,” Lok said in the statement dated November 18, 2020.

“This information goes to all our people, supporters and everybody that have been with us, we willl remain loyal to you day and night, and we reaffirm to you that we will support the implementation of the Revitalized Pence Agreement with all the peace loving South Sudanese,” he said, adding he “will stand with any SPLA-IO comrade whose contributions are ignored by Riek Machar and his elique Other details pertaining the above denouncement will be outlined to you shortly.”

On December 15, 2013, fighting broke out in Juba and Lok, a Colonel at the time, was among a few army commanders who were disarmed and rearmed themselves later by force sparking what would become a bloody civil war.

He since then been a close ally of opposition leader and now First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny until recent days when he failed to be selected for Rubkona county commissioner which he insisted should be allocated to him despite being advised by community leaders to leave it away.