Duer Tut removes Machar as SPLM-IO chairman, declares himself interim leader

JUBA – The former governor of South Sudan’s main armed opposition group’s defunct Sobat State and member of the SPLM-IO National Liberation Council (NLC) Duer Tut Duer has just issued a statement dismissing SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny and declared himself the interim chairperson of the group.

In a statement extended to Sudans Post this afternoon, Duer who is an outspoken critic of Machar who is the South Sudan First Vice President said the prominent opposition leader is no longer the head of the main armed opposition group which he has led since its inception in Nasir in 2014.

“Riek Machar is dismissed from the Chairmanship of the SPLM-IO effective from the date of this statement, Riek Machar will continue and remains as First Vice President,” General Duer’s strong-worded statement extended to Sudans Post said.

The senior opposition official further revealed that an interim leadership council led by him will now be established with membership including him as the interim chairperson of the SPLM/SPLA (IO).

“An Interim Leadership Council of twenty one members including the Interim- Chairman, shall lead and manage the current affairs of the movement until the conduct of the National Convention which shall be organized in eight (8) months from the date of this Statement,” Duer said in the statement.

He said the council will “revisit” the four SPLM-IO documents namely the constitution, code of conduct, internal regulation and the manifesto. The body will also have the responsibility to elect a new chairperson and reorganize the group.

Duer further said that all SPLM/SPLA (IO) forces as well as ordinary members of the main armed opposition group “are ordered to remain calm in their current positions and wait for further instructions.”

He said those who had left the movement “as a result of bad leadership of Riek Machar by then, are now free to come back to the SPLM-IO.”

It is not clear who is with him in the declaration, but it comes days after General Simon Gatwech Dual distanced himself from him saying that he is not a part of the internal SPLM-IO group led by Duer that identify itself as reformist.