June 25, 2021 — A senior politician and a former military governor of the SPLM/A-IO defunct Sobat State, Lt. Gen. Duer Tut Duer, a longtime critic of the First Vice President, Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLM/A-IO, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, announced retiring Dr. Machar from the armed opposition.
According to a statement Hon. Duer shared through his social media network, the disgruntled politician dismissed Dr. Riek Machar Teny on June 1st, 2021 and as such he believes Machar lack legitimacy to appoint or remove SPLM/A-IO officials and military generals who are still in bush while he is in Juba.
” I would like also to take this opportunity to inform the people of South Sudan that, Riek Machar is dismissed from the Chairmanship of the SPLM-IO on the 1st of June 2021, as such have no any right to appoint or dismiss any official of the SPLM-IO in the Bush. His jurisdiction is reduced to the SPLM-IO in Juba” Hon. Duer wrote on Facebook.Â
In a statement seen by Nyamilepedia, Duer also commended Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, SPLA_IO chief of General Staff for rejecting what he termed as senseless appointment by President Kiir as his advisor for peace.Â
“I am honored to take this opportunity to congratulate First Lieutenant General Simon Gatwech Dual for taking the courage to reject that senseless appointment. Contrarily to Riek Machar, we are not position seekers, we are not position fighters, we are fighting for a cause”, he stated.Â
The senior member also paid his tribute to fallen heroes and heroines who sacrificed their lives for the cause meanwhile assuring the public that Gen. Gatwech Dual has nowhere to go.
Yesterday, the SPLM_IO director of Information and Public Relations, Mr. Puok Both Baluang, told Nyamilepedia in an exclusive interview that Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual has been relieved from his position as Chief of General since 22nd June, 2021 following his appointment as Presidential Advisor, however, today Gen. Dual reputed such information and assured the public that he will not accept the appointment until a set of preconditions are first implemented.
While Dr. Machar’s office believes that the Chief of Staff has been dismissed through his appointment and he is yet to be replaced, Duer also believes that Machar is dismissed but not yet replaced.
The disgruntled politician, popularly known as a “reformist” by his supporters, didn’t clarify his position and what legitimized him to remove his boss; however, he insists that he remains a member of SPLM/A-IO.
At the time of this writing, Nyamilepedia made unsuccessful attempts to reach Machar’s spokesman for comment.
