Oct 5, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — A senior member of the SPLM in Opposition under the leadership of the country’s First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, said at least 77 people from Bahr el Ghazal region have declared their allegiance to the armed opposition, SPLM/A-IO.
According to Dut Majiokdit, the region’s SPLM-IO gubernatorial advisor, 77 people who defected from the SPLM-IG of president Salvar Kiir were warmly received by the SPLM-IO Secretary General, Hon. Tingo Peter, at South Suan Hotel in Juba, today.
“The SPLM-IO National Secretariat in the Person of honorable Tingo Peter, the General Secretary, has warmly welcomed the new members that Joined the People’s Movement today at South Sudan hotel in Juba,” Majokdit told a local tabloid.
“77 people have Joined the SPLM-IO from Northern Bahr El Ghazal State, Bor, Warrap State, Abyei and Lake State respectively” he added.
Earlier this month, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) raised concerns over instability caused by defections or accepting defections.
According to the interim chairman of RJMEC, Major General Charles Tai Gituai, defection weaken the peace agreement and therefore it should not be allowed.
“Whether it is referred to as ‘defection’ or ‘change of allegiance’, the important point is that the Revitalized Peace Agreement in South Sudan has made commendable progress in the past two years since its signing and this must not be allowed to weaken because of instability caused by defections or accepting defections, which is contrary to the letter and spirit of the Agreement.” The interim chairman of RJMEC, Major General Charles Tai Gituai said in a statement.
Major General Charles said the RJMEC condemns any action by any party which detracts from the important work of peace building in the country.
He went on to call on the parties to dialogue and find amicable solutions to their internal issues instead of defecting to the other side.
Gen. Gituai was responding to defection of officers, who caused intensive fighting, in Kajo-Keji county of Central Equatoria.
The defecting general, Gen. Moses Lokujo, was later summoned by the JDB in Juba and that has paused the fighting in Kajo-Keji.
In September 2018, the government and the oppositions signed a peace deal that required both the government and opposition forces to come together and form a unified national army.
Since then Machar and other leaders of the opposition have made it to Juba with hopes to implement the peace deal; however, not many progresses have been made in the last two years.
