Upper Nile state, South Sudan
August 9, 2021 — While Dr. Machar’s SPLM/A-IO is still recovering from the defection of the Chief of Staff, Sector One Commander, military spokesman, among others, three more powerful generals switched their allegiance to President Salva Kiir on Aug 9, 2021.
In a statement seen by Nyamilepedia, the three opposition commanders decided to return to SSPDF or what they call as “their rightful place”, the SPLM party led by president Salva Kiir Mayardit.
“Today, August 9, 2021, in the same historical town, three senior Major Generals declared their decision to return to the National Army, the South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF) and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), our rightful place, under the Leadership of His Excellency General Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of the Republic of South Sudan and Chairman of SPLM”, the statement reads.
According their declaration statement, the three Major Generals headed by Maj.Gen.James Khor Chuol Giet, the Deputy Sector 3 Commander, accused Dr. Machar and his wife Mrs. Anglina Teny of diverting the SPLM/SPLA (IO) which is the national movement into a family enterprise.
They claim that the couples are practicing “despotism, corruption, tribalism and nepotism” in the movement.
Declaring their defection in Malual Gahoth, a historical town in Upper Nile, the three generals believe that they made president Kiir proud for declaring their allegiance under a tree that Salva Kiir used to sit under in the past.
“Major General James Khor Chuol Giet, Deputy Sector 3 Commander, together with Major General Kang Riek Diew and Major General Lol Nguoth Chom made this historical move from the historical town “Malual Gahoth”., the statement added.
“I am declaring my return to the Government under His Excellency President Kiir under the historical tree, the Fig Tree (Ngop) and Presidemt Kiir should be proud of that because he knows this Fig Tree very well in Malual Gahoth”., Gen. Khor said according to the statement.
Since the inception of the SPLM/A-IO in 2014 massive defections hit Machar’s camp but the question as to why many generals are always deserting remains unanswered.
The SPLM/A-IO has been deserted by almost all senior military generals and senior politicians leaving doubts if Machar will still champion the vision he claims to have for the country.
