Machar ‘dismissed’ as SPLM-IO chairman, Duer Tut claims

JUBA – South Sudan main armed opposition leader and the country’s Firs Vice President Dr. Riek Machar has been dismissed as the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition and does not have any power to replace or dismiss any member of the SPLM-IO, senior opposition official and Machar critic Duer Tut Duer said.

In a statement, Duer who is a former SPLM-Io governor of the defunct opposition Sobat state congratulated General Simon Gatwech Dual for refusing to take up the presidential advisor position given to him this week by President Salva Kiir Mayardit upon the recommendation of Machar.

“In first position, I would like to salute the memory of all our fallen heroes and heroines for their courage and their determination to fight for the cause of our struggle and above all for having sacrificed their lives to make South Sudan a good and a peaceful Nation,” Duer wrote on his Facebook page.

“I am honored to take this opportunity to congratulate First Lieutenant General Simon Gatwech Dual for taking the courage to reject that senseless appointment. Contrarily to Riek Machar, we are not position seekers, we are not position fighters, we are fighting for a cause,” he added.

The senior opposition official further revealed that Machar has been removed as the leader of the SPLM-IO on June 1^st and as such does not have any power to replace or remove any official of the main armed opposition group saying his powers have been limited to those who he said are in hotels in Juba.

“I would like also to take this opportunity to inform the people of South Sudan that, Riek Machar is dismissed from the Chairmanship of the SPLM-IO on the 1st of June 2021, as such have no any right to appoint or dismiss any official of the SPLM-IO in the Bush. His jurisdiction is reduced to the SPLM-IO in Juba,” he said, before adding that “Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual is our Chief of Staff and will remain as our Chief of Staff.”