Machar accused of abandoning SPLM-IO principles for position  

August 14, 2020 (Nyamilepedia) – Former SPLM-IO governor of Sobat state Duer Tut Duer has criticized the country’s First Vice President and chairman of the SPLM-IO Dr. Riek Machar Ten y for abandoning principles of the main armed opposition groups for positions.

Duer who is also a senior member of the SPLM-IO National Liberation Council (NLC) has been critical of Machar in recent months over his handling of the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement.

The 2018 peace deal provided for the implementation of the security arrangements which include the deployment of unified forces and the prior demilitarization of the capital and state capitals before the formation of what would become the revitalized unity government.

Machar, under regional pressure, accepted to return to Juba to form the current unity government with President Salva Kiir without those important provisions of the agreement in place opening up differences between Machar and some senior SPLM-IO members including Duer Tut.

In an opinion piece published on Sudans Post today, Duer said Machar has abandoned the SPLM-IO objectives and principle in return for the position of the First Vice President which he currently holds.

“SPLM-IO is not a movement for reform. It was initially a resistance movement generated by the killing of innocent civilians in Juba in December 2013. SPLM-IO became a Liberation movement with objective of Regime change in April 2014,” Duer said.

“The fight for regime change was abandoned for position of first Vice president for Riek Machar in 2015. When ARCSS collapsed in 2016, SPLM-IO demanded the IGAD to process the resuscitation of the ARCSS,” he added.

“The R-ARCSS was signed and a pre-transitional period was accorded to the parties to accomplish the pre-transitional tasks such as Security Arrangements, incorporation of the R-ARCSS into the constitution and so on.

“The current situation of self-criticism within the SPLM-IO and origin of move for leadership Change came into existence when the Position fighters and seekers rushed to Juba for positions and before the Security Arrangements.

“The current move intends to put in place a new Chairman for the SPLM-IO. We don’t want to remove Riek Machar from the Position of first Vice President, but we want to remove him from the Chairmanship of the SPLM-IO.

“Riek Machar will remain as First Vice President. We have nothing to do with a redundant position. All what we want, is to have a new leader to restructure, reorganize and reform the SPLM-IO to become a strong movement, and a force that will change the South Sudan from worse to better.

“Reform of an Organization from within is always possible and not impossible. You lack ideas of how to reform the SPLM-IO and South Sudan, don’t worry, we have the necessary ideas.

“Restructuring, reorganization and reform are strategic objectives to help us achieve the main goal of our Struggle. Some of us joined the movement to live, this is why they have never been to the front lines, others joined the movement to die for the cause I was and am one of them.

“For some of us, the Peace Agreement is about the position of first vice president and the Governorship of Upper Nile State. The Peace Agreement is about the Security Arrangements, Incorporation of The Agreement into the Constitution, the Transitional Justice and Accountability and the Lifting of State of Emergency and so forth.”