October 16th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – A senior rebel officer loyal to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by South Sudan’s former First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon have abandoned the SPLM-IO citing nepotism.
Brig. Gen. Tito Nhial Ruadhel who was a public commander officer (PSC) and the Director of Training for the SPLA-IO in a statement extended to the Nyamilepedia declared his intention to join the South Sudan United Movement (SSUM) led by Gen. Peter Gatdet Yak.
The defected officer said in the statement that he defected with senior army Generals to the SSUM camp over what he described as nepotism, clanism and favoritism practiced by the SPLM-IO chairman over many administrative and military aspects.
“I, Brig. Gen. P.S.C Tito Nhial Ruadhel, Directorate of Training, Col. Kerbino Gai Thak of Chairman and C-in-C of Dr. Riek Machar front Battalion, Col. Peter Thai Kim Bangoang of National Security and Intelligence Service (NSIS), Major Nhial Wathjany Chan, of Military Intelligence (MI) with others four (4) Colonels’ plus 32 Junior officers do here by declaring our resignation and defection to H.E Peter Gatdet Yak Chairman and C.in.C of South Sudan United Movement/ Army Forces (SSUM/AF) leadership,” the rebel officer said in a statement extended to the Nyamilepedia.
The officer said they had been forced to resign and join Gatdet’s SSUM because of lack of respect by the top opposition leadership of the command hierarchy and the practice of nepotism and favoritism by the higher leadership without identifying who is exactly being favored and over who.
“The SPLM/A-IO leadership does not respect the Chain of Command within the system. The leadership is rewarding only non- performers than effective performers within the system,” he said in the statement.
He said also one the reason for his defection is the reluctant by the SPLM-IO leadership to intervene and rein over the August dispute between Bul Community, where he came from, and other Nuer communities in the capital Juba.
“SPLM/A-IO leadership does not intervene between N-4 (mean four Nuer groups) and Bul community. Whenever N-4 gang up against Bul community supporting SPLM/A-IO, in refuges and POCs camps which occurred several times without condemnation from the leadership,” the general said.
He further said there has been promotions within the SPLA-IO but some were intentionally left out by Machar, the commander in chief saying there has been what he called internal insecurity among other form of crisis.
“In the last promotions within the SPLM/A-IO most officers were left intentionally not being promoted. Within the SPLM/A-IO, there has been experience of internal insecurity, discrimination, humiliations, and political threat base on ethnicity,” he added.
“The SPLM/A-IO as a movement is taken as a family property by the leadership,” he added.Â
