BREAKING | Machar rejects ‘unilateral’ unification of army command, says move violates peace deal

JUBA — South Sudan’s First Vice President and leader of the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) Dr. Riek Machar Teny has rejected what he calls unilateral unification of the army command saying move by President Kiir violates peace deal.

In a presidential decree on Friday evening, Kiir allocated two army positions and one police position to the SPLA-IO as his first step in the formation of the unified army command.

An other army position and police position were allocated to South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA).

But in a statement this evening, Machar said the move violates the peace agreement and are unilateral actions.

“On Friday March 25, 2022, President Salva Kiir Mayardit issued a Presidential Decree on the unification of command of the unified forces in which he relinquished three (3) positions of command in the military and two (2) in the National Police Service to the SPLM/A (IO) and SSOA,” Machar’s statement said.

“In his decree, the President also directed the Chief of Defense Forces and the Inspector General of Police to immediately implement his order. However, it is to be noted that this is a unilateral decision.

“It is important to recall that on 27th September 2018, the parties agreed in the Khartoum Workshop as stipulated in the Agreement (Art. 2.1.11) that the size and composition of the forces shall be based on the ratio of 50 percent for ITGONU and 50 percent for the opposition.

“Following the Khartoum workshop, IGAD and RJMEC convened 2 subsequent workshops of joint Security Mechanisms in Juba on 10th-11th May 2019 and 9th September 2019 which reaffirmed the 50:50 ratio. However, President Salva Kiir Mayardit reneged on these agreements which prompted the guarantors to intervene to resolve the matter. A dialogue is ongoing and the parties have not yet reached an agreement on the unification of command.”

Machar said “The unilateral decision by President Salva Kiir is a violation of the R-ARCSS, and it is a clear rejection of the on-going mediation process by the Republic of the Sudan, Chair of IGAD.”

He said his group, the SPLM-IO, “condemns and rejects the unilateral decision.”