![South Sudan First Vice President and SPLM-IO chairman Dr. Riek Machar Teny speaking during the 6th SPLM/SPLA (IO) National Conference in Juba last week [Photo by Sudans Post]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/130450649_1339232143083147_1474291214779927284_n.jpg?ssl=1)
The group was formed in 2014, a few month following outbreak of violence in the capital Juba when elements of the country’s army, then called SPLA, went from neighborhoods to neighborhoods in Juba to massacrce civilians accused of ethnic or political affiliation to Machar who was accused of a coup attempt.
But an almost-year-long field investigation by the African Union Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan (AUCISS) found no evidence of a coup attempt by Machar and others despite the government insistence that there was one.
The group since then engaged in a political-military struggle to change the regime in Juba, but a peace agreement was signed in September 2018 by the SPLM-IO and then government under President Salva Kiir Mayardit ushering in a transitional period of 36 months that is expected to end next February.
In a statement, the SPLM-IO announced to the general public that it will launch its membership registration process on Saturday, July 2, 2022, at its headquarters in Juba.
“The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) will launch its party membership registration on Saturday 2/07/2022 at The General Secretariat Office in Juba Na Bari (Tong Ping) near American Residence, Juba,” the group said in the statement seen by Sudans Post.
The function, which will be held under the theme: “Towards Democratic, United and Prosperous South Sudan,” will be started with speech by the Chairman and Commander in Chief of the SPLM/SPLA (IO) Dr. Riek Machar Teny, the statement added.
