Top general says attacks on IO ‘attempt to displace constituencies’ to manipulate elections

JUBA – A South Sudan army general turned member of Pan African parliament has said that ongoing attacks by South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) are attempts to displace members of constituencies in SPLM-IO-controlled areas and manipulate elections in favor of President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

There has been fighting in Upper Nile and Unity state where South Sudan army forces in the two states launched attacks on several bases belonging to the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny.

The SPLA-IO has suspended, in protest, its participation in the security mechanisms overseeing the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement as well as from the peace monitoring mechanisms such as R-JMEC and CTSAMVM complaining that the peace monitoring bodies are not doing anything to stop SSPDF attacks on them.

In a statement, Major-General Mabior Riiny Lual, said the ongoing conflict in Upper Nile state is an indication that the SPLM-IG want to go to elections and that the war is a campaign by the Kiir-led army to displace constituencies in opposition-controlled areas so that elections are manipulated in favor of Kiir.

“The war in Upper Nile is an indication that there is a determination by SPLM to go for elections. The war is an attempt to displace constituencies of SPLM-IO to discourage them from voting,” he said in a statement seen by Sudans Post on Friday evening.

“Political-military entrepreneurs want to deliver enough knockout to opposition parties by making sure President Salva gets more than 90% of votes in the first round. Alex De Waal would call this capturing “Political-military market place” to ensure President Salva wins to continue the flow of oil money into the pockets of these political entrepreneurs,” he added.

He said First Vice President Machar “has been priced out in the ‘military market place’ by the regime through increasing the price of loyalty of his commanders to abandon him.”