Ex-SPLM-IO Secretary-General Tingo Peter, 3 senior SPLM-IO officials join Gen. Gatwech

JUBA – The former Secretary-General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), Tingo Peter Regbigo, and four other former senior SPLM-IO officials have declared their intention to join the SPLM-IO Kitgwang faction led by former SPLA-IO chief of staff General Simon Gatwech Dual.

Tingo, a former close ally to Machar, resigned on November 10^th 2020 and blamed First Vice President Machar’s leadership for poor leadership, single-handedly running the movement, and for lack of transparency. At the time, the senior opposition official did not join any group.

In a statement this afternoon, Tingo along with former SPLM-IO deputy chairperson for foreign relations committee Pasquale Clement Batali, members of the SPLM-IO National Liberation Council Yor Juma Yor, Victor Bazillio Tindo, and Viola Joseph said they have declared their full support for the SPLM-IO Kitgwang faction led by Gen. Gatwech effective today.

“We the under mentioned former members of the SPLM/A-IO who resigned earlier from Dr. Riek Machar’s SPLM/A-I0 led administration would like to register our full support for the decision taken in the Kitgwang-Magenis, declaration to remove Dr. Riek Machar from the chairmanship and commander in Chief of the SPLM/A-IO,” they said in the statement extended to Sudans Post.

“We would like to reiterate once again our fully support as we stated on the 15^th July 2021 prior to the Kitgwang declaration. We highly appreciate the patriotic decision taken by the armed forces of the SPLM/A-IO,” they added in the statement.

They further added that “We strongly applaud the full cooperation between the military council and the political bureau and fully support the appointment of Hon. Henry Odwar as the head of political bureau.”

“We would like again to sincerely thank you in person for your previous consultations and consideration for the group before and after the Kit Gwang declaration.”