FULL-TEXT | Outcome of the SPLM-IO Political Bureau meeting in Juba

JUBA — South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny has issued a communique following a meeting of the SPLM-IO Political Bureau in Juba in which the group discussed the defection of its military chief General Simon Gatwech Dual.

Read below the full text of the communique.

SUDAN PEOPLE’S LIBERATION MOVEMENT/ARMY

SPLM/SPLA (IO)

CHAIRMAN & COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

4th August, 2021

OUTCOME OF THE POLITICAL BUREAU MEETING

The SPLM/A (IO) Political Bureau met today, Wednesday, August 4th, 2021 in Juba and discussed the Kit Gwang Declaration which was issued by a group calling itself the Military Command Leadershlp composed of the former SPLA (IO) Chief of General Staff, Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, former Sector 1 Commander, Gen. Johnson Olony Thubo, and former Sector 3 Commander Thomas Mabor Dhoal on August 3rd, 2021 in Magenis town of Upper Nile State.

The Political Bureau meeting was also attended by members of the SPLA (IO) Military Command Council and senior officers from other organized forces who are also members of the Peace Implementation Mechanisms.

The Political Bureau therefore would like to make the following points:

1. Condemns in the strongest terms the ill-fated Kit Gwang Declaration;

2. The three Generals who met in Magenls do not constitute the SPLA (IO) leadershlp of the MIllitary Command Councl. The Military Command Council is composed of the Commander-in-Chief, Chief of General Staff and his Deputies, Commanders of the nine Sectors, and Commander of the General Headquarters. At the time of the declaration, General Simon Gatwech Dual had already been relleved from command and appointed as Presidential Advisor for Peace. However, the MIlitary Command does not make the polltical decisions of the Movement but the Political Bureau or the National Liberation Council In absence of the National Convention.

3. It is regrettable that the declaration was engineered and facilitated by peace spollers who prevlously sponsored attacks on Turu cantonment site in Maiwut County, Liengkini Cantonment site in Maban County in Upper Nile State, Morta training centre in Kajo Keji County in Central Equatoria the attacks on SPLA(IO) in Western Bahr Al-Ghazal and Western Equatorla States. The Polltical Bureau, therefore, condemns these grave vlolations In the strongest terms posslble;

4. The declaratlon was Intended to derall the formatlon of the unlfied command, graduation and the deployment of the unifled forces, which remain an outstanding prlority after the concluslon of the reconstitution of the Natlonal Leglslature.

5. The Political Bureau assures the members of the SPLM/A (IO) and the people of South Sudan In general that the situatlon Is under control; The Polltical Bureau also discussed the constant harassment, arbltrary arrests and detentlon of the SPLM/A (IO) persannel by ITGONU security organs, particularly In Juba and other towns in the country.

Furthermore, the Polltical Bureau discussed and condemned, as a matter of principle, the arbltrary detentlon of some members of the Peoples’ Coalition for Clvil Action, as this group was exercising Its constitutlonal right of freedom of speech, expression and association even though the SPLM/A(IO) does not necessarlly agree wlth the content of their message. In the light of this, the Political Bureau demands the Immediate release of these detalnees.

On the other hand, the Political Bureau discussed the blatant violations of the power-sharing agreements In the Administrative Areas, namely:

(1) The recent unllateral formatlon of Administratlve Area governments by the Chlef Adminlstrators In Ruweng and Abyel;

(2) The Chlef Administrators have no legal mandate to appolnt constitutlonal post holders as thls is the prerogative of the President/Presldency as per Article 1.9.2.1 of the Agreement;

(3) The creation of new countles In the Adminlstrative Arcas as done by the Chlef Administrator of Ruweng Administrative Area contrary to the Agreement on reverting the country to Ten (10) States and seventy-nlne (79) Countles;

(4) Refusal of the President to accept the Agreements signed on Octabe 27, 2020 and January 18, 2021 respectively by the Hgh Level Committee of the Parties for the allocation of portfolios in the Ten States and Three Administrative Areas, resulting in the non-formation of governments therein, on the ground that only ITGONU should administer these Areas, although these areas were carved out of Jonglel, Unity and Warrap States;

(5) Refusal of the President to appoint the SPLM/A (10) nominee to the positlan of Deputy Minister of Interior whose nomination was submitted on February 1″, 2021; and

(6) In addition, the Political Bureau vehemently expresses its concern on the refusal of the president to accept the outcome of the Joint Security Mechanlsms Workshop of May 10th-11th 2019, facllitated by IGAD and RJMEC and signed by the JDB Co-Chairs on September 9th, 2019.

Finally, the Political Bureau relterates the SPLM/SPLA(IO) commitment to the full implementatlon of the Agreement In letter and spirit and urges all the partners to the Peace Agreement to do the same.

Signed:

Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon (PhD) Chairman and Commander-In-Chief of the SPLM/A (IO) and The First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan.