![South Sudan's then newly removed FVP Dr. Riek Machar Teny speaks during a meeting of the SPLM-IO political bureau in Khartoum, Sudan. [Photo by SUNA]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Riek_Machar.jpg?quality=89&ssl=1)
In a statement, Brigadier-General Solomon Peter Angelo who was the head of the main armed opposition group’s Anyanya division at Achawa cantonment site in Eastern Equatoria state said he has concluded that the SPLA-IO has lost vision and no longer relevant.
“Having observed with grave concerns political and military fragmentation within SPLA/M (IO) for a long time, it has now come to our genuine conclusion that SPLM/A-IO is no longer relevant with political realities for which it was formed. The SPLM/A-IO has lost direction and command of the forces,” he said in a statement published by Radio Tamazuj.
“It’s therefore, against this backdrop, in the interest of implementation of Sept 12 / 2018 agreement and in the Spirit of ensuring stability and our love for our country of South Sudan that we are hereby declaring our defection from the SPLM/A-IO with effect from September 07, 2021,” the senior opposition commander added.
The top opposition commander alleged that there are a lot of reasons triggering defections within the main armed opposition group one of which, he said, is the lack of care for the opposition soldiers by the SPLA-IO leadership in Juba.
“There are many reasons that make people defect from the opposition to the government. The opposition is not capable and failed to take care of its soldiers. All the soldiers have scattered and even in barracks, soldiers are suffering and the children of soldiers are suffering in their houses. I have decided to defect because I have seen there is a failure in SPLA-IO. That is why I see I should go back home to work together with my brothers,” he said.
