Dr. Riek is still the supreme commander, says SPLA-IO

JUBA – South Sudan’s main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) has said that First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny is still its supreme commander until the graduation of all forces is completed.

On Tuesday, President Salva Kiir Mayardit said during the graduation of the unified forces at Dr. John Garang De Mabior Mausoleum that all the forces should only take orders from him as the only commander in chief of South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF).

“From today, you are not a military wing of any party to the conflict. You are now the first national security sector organ of the republic of South Sudan,” Kiir said.

“As the president of the republic, I am your commander-in-chief. If your commander-in-chief was the chairperson of SPLM-IO, Dr. Riek Machar, or Hussein Abdelbagi or any other unknown commander-in-chief, now you belong to the republic of South Sudan,” he added.

But the SPLA-IO spokesman Col. Lam Paul Gabriel says that Machar is still the supreme commander of SPLA-IO forces until when all the forces in cantonment areas are graduated.

“The position of Commander-in-Chief of the SPLA-IO will end only after the unification and distribution of all forces. After the process of unifying the forces that are still in the training centers and introducing the second batch to the training centers and graduating them, there will be a unified army under one commander,” Lam said as quoted by Radio Tamazuj.

“At that time, if you are affiliated to the government or the opposition, you will be under the responsibility of President Salva Kiir, the Commander-in-Chief of the army in South Sudan,” he added.