Machar’s office reiterates claims ‘peace spoilers’ behind SPLM-IO infighting

JUBA — South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, led by the country’s First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny has accused one of its peace partners  of being  behind last week deadly clashes which left 32 soldiers including two senior generals dead.

Deadly fighting erupted on Saturday last week in the Magenis area of Upper Nile State between SPLA-IO forces loyal to Machar and his former chief of staff, Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual.

The fighting erupted few days after a group of military generals declared that they had deposed Dr. Riek as head of the SPLM-IO and the commander-in-chief of the SPLA-IO.

Speaking to Sudans Post this morning in Juba, Puok Both Baluang, acting press secretary in the office of the First Vice President, said their generals were influenced by some peace spoiling partners in the revitalized peace agreement to cause tensions within the SPLM/A-IO.

“The SPLM-IO political Bureau held a meeting in Juba and came up with resolutions and first of all, we condemn the wrong declaration by Gen.  Simon Gatwech Dau, former chief of Staff, General Johnson Olony former Sector One Command and General Thomas Mabor Dhoal former Sector Three Command,” Both told Sudans Post reporter in Juba.

“We believe the same peace spoilers are behind this declaration and it is the one behind the attack on our forces in Maban and Maiwut of Upper Nile and also in Kajo-Keji, Western Bahr-el-Ghazal and Western Equatoria,” he said.

Both who is also SPLM-IO Director of Information and Public Relations believed that the breaking away of Gen. Gatwech’s faction is meant to weaken the implementation of the 2018 peace deal

“We urge our peace partners to demonstrate adherence to the implementation of the peace agreement as the SPLM/A-IO is always doing,” he said.

Experts warned that the fighting could put further pressure on an already fragile peace deal between Machar and his old foe, President Salva Kiir, that ended five years of brutal civil war in the world’s youngest country and led to an uneasy coalition government.