SPLA-IO officers who defected to Kiir returns to Machar

File: South Sudan’s First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny

JUBA – A number of SPLM/SPLA (IO) officers who defected to President Salva Kiir last month have now decided to return to the Machar-led movement accusing former petroleum minister Dak Duop Bichiok and General James Koang Chuol of planning to fail the security arrangement provided for in the revitalized peace agreement.

“I am hereby informing the general public on behave of two majors and eight (8) Non-commissioned officers (NCOS) that we have declared our allegiance to mother movement under able leadership of Dr. Rick Machar Teny PHD holder,” Lt. Col. Kam Duoth who defected to President Salva Kiir Mayardit said in a statement seen by Sudans Post.

Kam explained that the reasons for their defection to Kiir were many such as the speedy intergration of the opposition forces into the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) as well as the full implementation of the revitalized peace agreement.

“We previously joined the defected generals on the hope of fair leadership without discrimination and nepotism. They also promised us to work hard under SSPDF to speed up the security arrangement protocols but things didn’t go as we expected,” he said.

H said he returned to the SPLA-IO because former SPLA-IO deputy chief of staff General James Koang Chuol was working to fail the implementation of the security arrangements provided for in the revitalized peace agreement.

“The group under General Koang Chuol are working harder to fail the security arrangement with intention to turn the country back to war,” he said.

“They are more disorganized than before defected from SPLA-IO c) They carrying out mobilization to recruit innocent youth with promise of fake ranks. They are working harder to ruin training centers which will therefore to be dangerous in Nuer community,” he added pointing out that the group under Koang Chuol is “much tribal than the leadership of SPLA-IO which they had accused of surrounding themselves with relatives. The group is pushing other people to go and cause war within their communities.”