SPLM-IO dismisses alleged defection of 150 members to Kiir’s party in Warrap State

JUBA – South Sudan’s main armed opposition, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), has refuted claims that it has been abandoned by approximately 150 officials in Warrap State.

Addressing journalists during a press conference on Tuesday at the SPLM-IO secretariat in Juba, Member of Parliament and senior SPLM-IO official from Warrap State, Chaguor Ater Bol, expressed surprise at the assertion that 150 members of the party’s Warrap State caucus had defected to the SPLM.

Bol clarified that only seven members of the main armed opposition group in the area had abandoned their affiliation, stating that some of those purported to have defected have disputed the claim.

“Out of 150 members, the SPLM-IO has confirmed that only 7 have defected, while the remainder have contested the allegation, asserting that they were not part of any conspiracy to defect. They argue that their names were added without consent, and their signatures were forged by SPLM-IG,” he asserted.

Bol portrayed the SPLM-IO as a democratic and voluntary political organization, emphasizing that individuals interested in its vision and mission are welcome to join. He further urged anyone intending to depart from the SPLM-IO to do so willingly.

The SPLM-IO, led by First Vice President Riek Machar, diverged from the ruling party under President Kiir in December 2013 following disagreements over political reforms within the SPLM that led to the infamous Juba massacre and the subsequent civil war.

The potential departure of such a significant number of members would have eroded Machar’s political advantage in Warrap State, the home-state of President Salva Kiir, ahead of the elections slated for December 2024.