Duer to convene conference in 2021 to end SPLM-IO ‘confusion’

JUBA – Veteran SPLM-IO politician and former opposition governor of the defunct Sobat state is saying that he will convene a National Conference for the main armed opposition group next year to bring to an end what he said is confusion within in the group caused by failure of leadership.

Duer, who is a rival and internal critic of SPLM-IO leader and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar made the revelation during an interview published by Radio Tamazuj on Monday.

As an answer to one of the questions, Duer reiterated his calls for end to the Machar leadership which he blamed for defections he said triggered by his failure to bring together different segments of the main armed opposition groups since its inception in 2014 saying a conference to decide who lead the party will be conducted in 2021.

“We are going to organize a general assembly in 2021, all members of the SPLM-IO will be present and they will decide to elect new leadership for the movement,” the outspoken politician said.

“You might have heard about the meeting which was organized in Juba, first of all, they called it to be a conference. For a general assembly conference to take place, it should begin from Boma, Payam, Counties, and States and then to the national level. The Juba meeting will just resolve to allow Machar to continue leading the movement. We are just waiting for that resolution and we will issue other directives for the removal of Machar from the chairmanship of the movement,” he added.

Duer further denied reports that he had abandoned the SPLM-IO, saying instead that Machar is the one “who decided to abandon the SPLM-IO and went to Juba without proper security arrangement and left his army behind.

“He went and became the FVP and forgot his followers. I don’t belong to Machar but I belong to SPLM-IO which has been abandoned by Machar. And we are here to continue to organize this movement and move forward.

“We want to have the movement that continues to exist but should not be led by Machar. Let him form a new organization and leave the SPLM-IO to us. We are following our principles, not gains or positions.”