In a letter dated May 4, 2025, Nathaniel Oyet, the SPLM-IO Acting Chairman and First Deputy Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, appealed to Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairman of the African Union Commission, for direct engagement with Machar to clarify the opposition’s stance on the country’s deteriorating political landscape.
“We call upon the AU Delegation to meet and engage directly with H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny, the First Vice President, to get detailed clarification on the position of the SPLM/SPLA-IO on the recent political development,” Oyet said.
The appeal follows a two-day diplomatic visit to South Sudan by the African Union Commission and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on May 5–6, 2025, aimed at evaluating the nation’s political situation. In a joint statement, the delegation emphasised the importance of respecting political and civic freedoms and reaffirmed their commitment to fostering dialogue.
However, Oyet highlighted a repressive environment that he claims stifles opposition voices and undermines prospects for meaningful negotiations.
Amid the detention of senior SPLM-IO officials, including Machar, and increasing restrictions on political activities, Oyet argued that South Sudan’s current conditions are not conducive to productive discussions.
“We reiterate that there is an absence of a conducive environment for dialogue in South Sudan. Dialogue should therefore be mediated in a neutral venue,” the statement read.
Oyet accused the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Government (SPLM-IG) of orchestrating a campaign to suppress and dismantle the SPLM-IO’s leadership.
He alleged that the SPLM-IG has coerced some opposition members into submission, pointing to the formation of an interim SPLM-IO leadership under Stephen Par Kuol, the Minister of Peacebuilding, as an example of this tactic.
“Those who survived this reign of terror, either had to submit to the regime (e.g. the so called, SPLM-IO interim leadership, that was created by the SPLM-IG), or go into hiding, while others fled for their safety,” said Oyet, who is currently in an undisclosed location for his safety.
The statement also raised concerns about ongoing military aggression, alleging that the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) have launched attacks on SPLM-IO-controlled areas, including cantonments and training centres.
“We underline that the violations by the SPLM-IG and affiliated security forces, which we deem as a declaration of war on their part, resulted in attacks on SPLM/SPLA-IO controlled areas, all the Cantonments and Training centres,” he said.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, has faced persistent political instability since gaining independence in 2011.
The 2018 peace agreement, which established a unity government including Machar as First Vice President, has struggled to maintain stability, with ongoing tensions between the SPLM-IG and SPLM-IO threatening to unravel fragile gains.
