April 16, 2020 (Nyamilepedia) — A group of top Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) politicians have decided to abandon the group and join the SPLM faction led by President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
The defection which was announced this morning at Juba Pyramid Hotel comes more than a month following a March defection of senior SPLA-IO officers led by deputy chief of staff Gen. Koang Chuol Ranley.
In a statement this morning, the group who accused Machar of losing vision and acting outside the SPLM-IO leadership box said they will no longer be a part of the group and declared that they were defecting to President Salva Kiir’s side.
“Therefore, as peace returns to the country, and in absence of political leadership in the SPLM-IO, we the undersigned including our supporters have concluded that politically, we have nothing in common with the chairman,” they said in the statement.
“Hence, we have decided not to sit by and to continue the fulfilment of personal aspirations such as wealth accumulation which seems to be vision. As result, we have concluded to resign and joint President Salva Kiir in the implementation of the peace agreement,” they said.
The defected officer are let by former minister of petroleum Dak Duop Bichiok and includes Dobuol Lualweng, Yien Thang, Thomas Maluit Hoth, John Gatwich Dak, Chan Abdalla, James Chan, Martha Nyakim, Rita Kur and Duong Peter Gatkuoth.
