This follows the formation of an interim leadership structure announced in Juba Wednesday, in which a faction of the SPLM-IO National Liberation Council designated Stephen Par Kuo as acting chairman until Dr. Machar, who remains under house arrest in the capital, is released.
The section named Federal Affairs Minister Losuba Wongo as Kuol’s deputy, replacing Gen. Nathaniel Oyet Pierino, the First Deputy Speaker of RTNLA, and Agok Makur as the Secretary General in the interim structure.
However, Lt. Gen. Alfred Futuyo Karaba, the SPLA-IO Sector 6 Commander and former governor of Western Equatoria State, dismissed the announcement as illegitimate and politically motivated.
“We, the SPLA-IO forces under Sector 6 Command in Western Equatoria State, categorically reject and disassociate ourselves from the recent statement issued by a group of individuals in Juba claiming allegiance to Amb. Stephen Par Kuol as a replacement to our legitimate Chairman and Commander-in-Chief, H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon, PhD, the First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan,” said Gen. Futuyo in a strongly worded statement.
Futuyo further questioned Stephen Par’s qualifications, asserting that he lacks both military experience and genuine ties to the movement’s rank and file.
“Amb. Stephen Par Kuol lacks the military and leadership credentials required to lead this movement. He has no direct connection with the SPLA-IO forces on the ground and has not participated in our armed struggle. Furthermore, we regard his sudden emergence as a politically motivated move, orchestrated by external actors to destabilize the SPLA-IO and weaken the leadership of H.E. Dr. Riek Machar,” the statement read.
In a striking claim, the SPLA-IO commander further alleged that Par is not a South Sudanese national but an American citizen whose involvement in the SPLM-IO only began after the signing of the peace agreement.
“It is important to state that Amb. Stephen Par is not a South Sudanese by origin but rather an American national who only arrived in South Sudan after the peace agreement, seemingly to pursue personal interests rather than contribute meaningfully to the liberation cause,” the statement added.
Gen. Futuyo reiterated the unwavering support of Sector 6 forces for Dr. Machar and called for his immediate and unconditional release from house arrest.
“We, the forces in Western Equatoria State, unequivocally condemn his [Stephen Par’s] actions and declare our unwavering support for the legitimate leadership of H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny. We further demand his immediate and unconditional release,” he emphasized.
The internal rift marks a new chapter of discord within the SPLM-IO, raising fresh concerns about the unity of the country’s largest armed opposition movement amid a fragile peace process.
