Dr. Machar’s Initial Press Release on Unification of Commands!

Press Release,

By Dr. Riek Machar Teny,

March 27, 2022 — On Friday March 25, 2022, President Salva Kiir Mayardit issued a Presidential Decree on the unification of command of the unified forces in which he relinquished three (3) positions of command in the military and two (2) in the National Police Service to the SPLM/A (10) and SSOA. In his decree, the President also directed the Chief of Defense Forces and the Inspector General of Police to immediately implement his order. However, it is to be noted that this is a unilateral decision. 

It is important to recall that on 27th September 2018, the parties agreed in the Khartoum Workshop as stipulated in the Agreement (Art. 2.1.11) that the size and composition of the forces shall be based on the ratio of 50 percent for ITGONU and 50 percent for the opposition.

Following the Khartoum workshop, IGAD and RJMEC convened 2 subsequent workshops of joint Security Mechanisms in Juba on 10th –11th May 2019 and 9th September 2019 which reaffirmed the 50:50 ratio. However, President Salva Kiir Mayardit reneged on these agreements which prompted the guarantors to intervene to resolve the matter. A dialogue is ongoing and the parties have not yet reached an agreement on the unification of command. 

In light of the above, the SPLM/SPLA (10) Political Bureau would like to state the following: 

1.  The unilateral decision by President Salva Kiir is a violation of the R–ARCSS, and it is a clear rejection of the on-going mediation process by the Republic of the Sudan, Chair of IGAD.
2. The SPLM/A-IO condemns and rejects the unilateral decision.
3. SPLM/A-IO is committed to the on-going mediation to resolve the matter.

In conclusion, the SPLM/A (10) reiterates its commitment to the full implementation of the Agreement in both letter and spirit and looks forward to IGAD mediation to intervene in this matter.