![Former South Sudan’s minister of youth, culture and recreation James Makuach Teny speaking during an event in Juba ahead of independence celebration in July 2011. [Photo by Al Jazeera English]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/B0891192-3E6C-46F0-81FF-FE19C77E71D0.jpeg?ssl=1)
JUBA — South Sudan’s former Minister of Youth, Sports and Recreation General James Makuach Teny who left the main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, in 2016 has joined the group’s Kitgwang faction led by former military chief General Simon Gatwech Dual, an opposition spokesman allied to Gatwech said.
General Makuach was the deputy SPLA-IO inspector general until February 2016 when he decided to break away to form his own opposition movement known as National Resistance Movement (NRM) and since then has stayed out of Juba.
Speaking to Sudans Post from Kitgwang, Magenis, this morning, General William Gatjiath Deng, the spokesman of the SPLA-IO faction led by Gen. Gatwech said General Makuach Teny declared his intention to join the Kitgwang faction following his arrival at Magenis on Tuesday morning.
“This is to confirm that General Makuach Teny has responded positively to the call by the chairman and commander in chief of the SPLM/SPLA-IO 1st Lt. Gen. Simon Dual for former SPLM-IO military and political leaders who abandoned the movement because of the bad administration by Dr. Riek Machar Teny to return to the movement,” General Gatjiath said from Magenis.
“On Tuesday, he arrived in Magenis and he is with us now and has declared his allegiance to the SPLM/A-IO under the leadership of General Simon Gatwech Dual and he has been welcomed by his comrade to the movement once again,” General Gatjiath added.
The senior opposition officer further reiterated the call for the former SPLM-IO leaders to return because “the movement has changed a lot since the removal of the family dictatorship of Dr. Riek Machar and his wife Angelina Teny and it is now under able leadership of General Simon Gatwech Dual.
For his part, Musa Abraham Gatluak, the chairman of the SPLM-IO Chapter in Victoria confirmed the return of General Makuach Teny to the SPLA-IO saying he spoke to the former senior opposition official from Magenis on Tuesday and said he has been welcomed by the opposition leadership there.
“General. Makuac Teny Youk has joined the Kitgwang declaration under the SPLM-IO interim Chairman and commander in chief 1st. Lt. General Simon Gatwech Dual. The leadership welcomed and received him at the headquarter,” Gatluak said from Australia.
