Top SPLA-IO commander defects to Kiir

MALAKAL, JULY 3, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – A senior commander belonging to the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) has defected to the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces under President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

Speaking to Sudans Post yesterday, General Peter Pal Gatkuoth who was the SPLA-IO area commander in Longechuk County of Upper Nile State prior to his defection said he left because of bad governance from the SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar Teny.

“This is to confirm to you that I have defected from the SPLA-IO in Longechuk and joined the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces. I have left with a force of about 700 soldiers and some of them are still preparing to follow me,” Gen. Gatkuoth said.

“The reasons for my defection are very clear and one of them is that Riek Machar is running the movement as an own property and this is not how we wanted the movement to be and if this has become normal for Riek and his wife, then we have no choice then to say no to him,” he added.

Gatkuoth claimed that the SPLM-IO Commissioner of Longechuk attempted to attack him as he was leaving the area, resulting in a fierce fight that resulted in the death of at least three people from both sides.

“You know their behaviors that they don’t have freedom. When I decided to leave, they attacked me in an attempt to sabotage my plan, but I fought them and about three people died on both sides and nothing the yet can do to prevent me,” he added.

Attempts to reach the Longechuk County commissioner and the SPLA-IO spokesman were unsuccessful at the time of writing this article, but SPLM chairperson in Longechuk County Joh Mayieny confirmed the incident and said the SPLA-IO attacked him on the claims that he engineered the defections.

“These people came to me, and they attacked me because of the false claim that I engineered the defection of General Peter Pal and that I am violating the peace agreement. This is not true, the fighting is their own making,” he said.