In a letter dated October 19, 2025, Deng Deng, who was suspended from his post by Governor Rin Tueny Mabor in April and detained in May, said he had taken a “personal and optimal decision” to quit Machar’s camp, citing growing internal divisions, lack of teamwork, and what he described as “dilemmatic circumstances” within the SPLM-IO.
“I hereby extend this letter to formally notify your office of my undertaken decision to resign as SPLM-IO County Chair, a member of the National Liberation Council, and exit SPLM-IO entirely with effect from today [October 19, 2025],” he wrote.
Deng, who was nominated by the SPLM-IO under the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), said the party’s internal wrangles and competing interests had eroded unity and weakened its political direction.
“The split of the current SPLM-IO into several groups and factions with many oppositions internally and externally has diminished my curiosity to remain in such circumstances with no common agenda,” explained Deng, who also served as the SPLM-IO Chairman for Cueibet County.
“Some members have disowned the peace agreement, and the lack of team spirit makes it difficult to achieve political goals or restore dignity,” he added in a statement obtained by Sudans Post.
Deng stated that his defection followed extensive consultations with his family, close friends, and community members in Cueibet County, who reportedly urged him to abandon the opposition movement.
“I have listened to my family members, friends, and the community I once served, who have long persisted against my continued membership in SPLM-IO,” he said.
Despite his exit, Deng expressed gratitude to the SPLM-IO leadership for the opportunity to serve, saying he bore no ill will toward his former comrades.
“With profound respect and humility, I would not unveil a wicked remark on your movement but rather express my sincere gratitude for your mentorship, support, and cooperation you have entrusted me with in the last decades,” he stated.
The commissioner disclosed that 30 other SPLM-IO members from Cueibet County had joined him in defecting to the SPLM under Kiir’s leadership.
“With these precise points, I finally disclose my allegiance with thirty other members from SPLM-IO to our mother party SPLM under the leadership of H.E. Gen. Salva Kiir,” the statement concluded.
Deng’s defection marks yet another political setback for Machar’s SPLM-IO as it struggles with growing internal fragmentation and defections amid the detention and trial of Machar, the party’s chairman.
The SPLM-IO leadership has not yet issued an official response to the commissioner’s move at the time of writing.
