FULL-TEXT | Statement by Duer Tut Duer removing Dr. Riek Machar as SPLM-IO leader and declaring himself the interim leader

JUBA – Former SPLM-IO Governor of the defunct opposition Sobat state Duer Tut Duer on Wednesday made public a statement dated June 1, 2021 in which he dismissed the Chairman and Commander in Chief of the SPLM/SPLA-IO Dr. Riek Machar Teny and declared himself the interim leader of the group.

This comes following the escalation of disagreements within the main armed opposition group between Machar who is in Juba and some senior opposition political and military commanders who have since the signing of the revitalized peace agreement stayed out of Juba.

Read below the full statement.

SUDAN PEOPLE”S LIBERATION MOVEMENT ION/ARMY IN OPPOSITION

GENERAL HEADQUARTERS

Subject: Political Statement and Dismissal of Dr. Riek Machar from the Chairmanship of the SPLM/A (IO)

Dear Compatriots, Comrades and Friends, Leaders and Members of the SPLM/SPLA – (IO),

In first position, let us take this opportunity to remember the innocent civilians who were massacred by the Regime inside Juba and elsewhere in South Sudan before and during December 2013, and after.

In second position, let me take this opportunity to salute the memory of all our fallen heroes and heroines, for their courage, their determination and their loyalty to our Movement and above all, for having sacrificed their lives for the cause of our struggle for a better and a peaceful South Sudan.

Dear Compatriots, Comrades and Friends, Once again let me take this opportunity to remind you that: the war which devastated our country since 2013, was not our making, but was engineered and then imposed on us by the Regime and by circumstances.

Despite the fact that, we were not prepared for this war, and failure of Riek Machar to provide military equipment to our forces, we managed to challenge the Regime due to the courage, determination and loyalty of our forces to the cause of our struggle.

With this courage and determination, we managed to force the Government of South Sudan, to accept the signing of the Agreements, First: the ARCSS in 2015, in Addis Ababa and in Juba, and then, the R-ARCSS in 2018, in Khartoum.

For this, we would like to congratulate our forces and the whole membership of the SPLM IA-(IO), for the work well done and thank the IGAD PLUS, and above all the Republics of: Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, the Troika and African Union for their valuable efforts which resulted to the signing of these two Agreements.

The Leadership and the Membership of the SPLM/A-(IO), were and are for Peace Agreement which addresses: the Root causes of the conflict, Implements the Security Arrangements, and applies the transitional justice to account the perpetrators of the atrocities and compensates the victims of such atrocities, in addition put in place necessary measures and mechanisms against Tribalism, Nepotism and Corruption.

We were and are for the R-ARCSS and to its implementation in letter and spirit, but we regret to mention that:

• The implementation of the Peace Agreement is not progressing, because Salva Kiir does not have the political will to implement the Agreement and because, Dr. Riek Machar went to Juba and decided the formation of the R-TGONU before the implementation of the Security Arrangements; he (Riek Machar) violated the Article: 2.2. of the R-ARCSS, he abandoned the SPLM/A-IO forces in a miserable situation; he betrayed the spirit of Struggle of our fallen heroes and heroines, and he betrayed the cause of our Struggle simply for sake of a redundant position of First Vice President.
• Despite our fight against Nepotism, Riek Machar didn’t hesitate to appoint his wife and the mother in-law of his son as minister of Defense and Minister of Health respectively and for his family reason and interest, he appointed his own candidate as the Governor of Western Bahr EIGhazal State, he uses the Movement for his interest and that of his family. Riek Machar turns the National Movement into a Family Business
• Despite the fact that, we are fighting against injustice, Riek Machar has demonstrated injustice by appointing his deputy, Comrade Henry Odwar as minister in a junior ministry, while appointing more junior members to senior ministries
• Despite the fact that, the SPLM/A-(IO) is established all over the country and managed to mobilize strong and courageous fighters from all over South Sudan, we failed to achieve our objectives, due to bad leadership and weakness of Dr. Riek Machar
• The SPLM/A-(10) has facilitated the proliferation of mini-movements in the Country due to the defection of its members, causes by carelessness of Riek Machar and his negligence of the concerns and grievances of his followers;
• Despite the fact that, we have produced our basic documents, our institutions and structures are not functioning efficiently, because Riek Machar doesn’t respect nor work according to those documents
• Riek Machar does not have friends in the Region, he failed to engage the Regional Leaders on the challenging political issues and fails to engage the SPLM/A – (IO) Leaders on the challenging organizational and structural issues of the Movement, he organizes meetings, but he never implements the resolutions of such meetings
• SPLM/A-(10) failed to make friends in the Region, because the Chairman Riek Machar isolated himself from the Regional Leaders due to his arrogance and bad political approach, this isolation affected the whole Movement;
• Riek machar did not show the willingness and the capacity of bringing all the opposition movements together, he is not a uniting factor, but a divisive leader
• Despite the fact that we have a clear vision and mission that aim at establishing a Federal South Sudan based on justice, democracy and equality, We have been losing popular support, because the people of South Sudan start to realize that, the Chairman of the Movement was not fighting for them, but for his family and for his Position of First Vice President;
• Considering the fact that, we were initially a broad poplar based organization that covers the Whole country and champions the cause of the victims of atrocities committed by the Regime, We failed to achieve our objectives on time, due to bad leadership of Riek Machar, and selfishness of his closed circle or entourage;
• Riek Machar never stick on one objective, he is not a man of his words. He said in July and August 2013, in Juba, that “Nuer should not always fight for position of Vice President”. He is now a Vice President. He called for regime change in April 2014, he abandoned it in October 2014
• Riek Machar has been manipulating the Nuer and have been making use of their naivety. He is a tribalism of a great caliber, but pretends to be nationalist;
• Riek Machar uses the policy of divide and rule and creates conflicts amongst his supporters and amongst leaders of the Movement. He was responsible for the differences between Governor Pal Kuon and Cieng Waw by then on one hand, and that of Gen. Khor Chol and Gen. Ochan Puot on the other. Instead of seeking solution to the problem, he orders Gajiok leaders to mobilize the Gajiok white Army to go and fight Chieng Waw, he did that to create friction and tension between Gajiok and Gajaak. He is not far from being the cause of defection of some comrades from Agwelek Division in 2019
• Riek had encouraged the defection of SPLM-IO Leaders from 2014 – 2020, due to his arrogance and lack of leadership.
• Riek Machar cannot be a First Vice President governing the country and at the same time a Chairman and Commander In Chief of a Rebel Movement.
• Riek Machar is a manipulator and a dictator, he practices a polite and none hostile dictatorship, he appoints leaders to positions, but he keeps the assignment for himself.
• Riek machar was not able to provide arms to our forces during the war ,but he is currently providing tiger and forces loyal to him with arms and ammunitions to fight the forces who criticize his leadership.
• Riek machar dishonored the agreement signed in 2015 ,between the SPLM-IO and agwelek and betrayed the cause of struggle of agwelek fighters.
• Riek machar sent a team to incite violence in Ulang county between cieng Khor and cieng Guandong which left more than 30 people dead and more than 30 wounded.

Considering the above mentioned twenty points and given the fact that, the Political Bureau and the National Liberation Council are not functioning because, the majority of the members of these two organs ( The PB and the NLC ) have abandoned the SPLM-IO:The group of Reformists within the SPLM/A-IO, inside and outside South Sudan, after consultation with some political and military leaders of the Movement, made the following decisions:

• Riek Machar is dismissed from the Chairmanship of the SPLM-IO effective from the date of this statement, Riek Machar will continue and remains as First Vice President.
• An Interim Leadership Council of twenty one members including the Interim- Chairman, shall lead and manage the current affairs of the movement until the conduct of the National Convention which shall be organized in eight (8) months from the date of this Statement: to revisit the SPLM – (I0) basic documents, elect the new Chairman and to endorse the Restructuring, Reorganization and the Reform of the Movement.
• All SPLM/A-IO fighters, ordinary members and supporters are ordered to remain calm in their current positions and wait for further instructions.
• All those who have defected from the SPLM-IO and joined other organizations or formed their own as a result of bad leadership of Riek Machar by then, are now free to come back to the SPLM-IO.
• The Removal of Rick Machar from the Chairmanship of the SPLM-IO is an Internal Political move within the SPLM-IO. As usual, the SPLM – (IO) is for Peace in South Sudan, but for a genuine and a real peace.
• We urge the National Political Organizations and liberation Movements as well as the regional Authorities to cease working with Riek Machar with regards to the affairs of the SPLM-IO, their corporation with the new leadership will serve the interest of the people of South Sudan and the Peace.
• All members of SPLM/SPLA -(I0), are ordered to cease all sorts of communication with Riek Machar and with those who have abandoned the Movement along with him.
• The policy Statement and the Reform program for the SPLM-IO under the new leadership which aims at “building a strong SPLM-IO capable of taking over the leadership of the Country” in order to establish a Federal South Sudan based on justice, democracy and equality. South Sudan free of tribalism, free of nepotism and free of corruption will be made public shortly.
• All Members and fighters of the SPLM/A- (IO), are asked to report to the nearest SPLM/A- (IO) bases.

God bless you all and

God bless South Sudan

Made on the 1^st of June 2021 in Point L., Northeastern Upper Nile.

Duer Tut Duer Makuac,

The Interim Chairman of the SPLM-IO.

Cc: Dr. Riek Machar, former Chairman and former Commander in Chief of the SPLM/A-IO – Chief of Staff of the SPLA-IO

– IGAD countries

– African Union

– The Troika

– File.