SPLM/A-IO welcomes AU call for Machar’s release, declares peace deal ‘nonexistent’

JUBA – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In Opposition (SPLM/SPLA-IO) has welcomed the African Union’s call for the release of suspended First Vice President Dr Riek Machar and other political detainees, while declaring that the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) is effectively “nonexistent.”

In a statement dated February 21, 2026, and addressed to the African Union High-Level Ad Hoc Committee for South Sudan (C5) and IGAD, Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, Acting Chairman of the SPLM-IO, thanked regional leaders for convening an Extraordinary Summit on South Sudan on February 15 in Addis Ababa, on the margins of the 39th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly.

The opposition movement said it had “taken note, and welcomes the Declaration of the C5-Plus Summit,” particularly recommendations for a ceasefire, the release of the First Vice President and other detainees, the appointment of a high-level envoy to oversee implementation of the peace agreement, unification of forces under the Transitional Security Arrangements, harmonization of peace initiatives, and an inclusive political dialogue to break the current stalemate.

However, the statement struck a defiant tone regarding the status of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). The SPLM-IO asserted that the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) “does not exist,” arguing that implementation of the agreement has halted due to what it described as systematic violations.

The group accused President Salva Kiir of undermining the deal through “the arrest of peace signatory, First Vice President, Dr Riek Machar Teny and other Political Detainees,” as well as “continuous attacks and destruction of Cantonments and Training Centres established pursuant to the Agreement.”

It further alleged the “unilateral removals and grabbing of all positions allocated to the SPLM/SPLA-IO and other parties by the Agreement,” a concern shared by the National Democratic Movement led by Dr Lam Akol.

According to the statement, the lack of accountability for violations and the failure of regional guarantors to safeguard the 2015 and 2018 peace agreements have contributed to the collapse of implementation and deepened mistrust among the parties.

Despite declaring the peace deal effectively void, the SPLM-IO reaffirmed its commitment to a negotiated settlement. It underscored its “steadfast principles for a mediated, inclusive and credible dialogue” aimed at addressing the root causes of conflict and the recurring breakdown of political transitions in South Sudan.

“There is no military solution to the conflict in South Sudan,” the statement emphasised, reiterating what it called an unwavering commitment to resolving the crisis through dialogue rather than force.