A war of words has erupted between members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and those in opposition, sparked by SPLM-IO’s self-exiled acting chairman, Oyet Nathaniel, who defiantly declared a parallel administration in areas controlled by his faction.
The announcement, made on Monday, was met with harsh rejection from a Member of Parliament representing the SPLM.
In his Executive Order, Oyet claims that the sitting government in Juba primarily operates in the national and state capital cities, leaving out counties and Payams.
He argued that the lack of government presence in rural areas, along with ongoing violations of the peace agreement, necessitated his move to fill the void in security and administration.
“In most parts of the country, the SPLM-IG is only in the headquarters; they are not in control of the counties and payams. The time has come to establish and defend our civil administration to deal with security and administrative vacuums,” Oyet noted in a statement.
In his comprehensive structure for the parallel local government, the proposed structure includes appointing county commissioners and secretaries for key sectors such as education, health, security, and agriculture, extending down to the Payam level.
However, this did not sit well with John Agany Deng, an SPLM MP, who swiftly condemned the declaration, stating that it violates the transitional constitution of South Sudan.
Mr. Agany stated that the national security forces have the duty to protect property and land, and that Oyet’s actions undermine the constitutional framework of the country.
The lawmaker criticized the SPLM/A-IO leadership for what he described as an apparent lack of faith in a peaceful transfer of power, noting that IO members often boycott significant parliamentary discussions and resort to violence instead.
“As a Member of Parliament, Cde. Oyet Nathaniel Pierino violated the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, Article (55), and Sub Article (1), which states, and I quote, TNLA members shall represent the will of the people of the Republic of South Sudan and shall foster Unity and nationhood of government,” Agany claimed.
The MP further addressed the detention of SPLM-IO members, stating that their alleged connections to the White Army militia should not be overlooked.
“The SPLM/SPLA-IO refers to them as armed civilians, but you cannot be both armed and innocent,” he argued.
Meanwhile, Dut Majongdit, another member of the SPLM-IO, supported Oyet’s move and urged the SPLM to fully commit to implementing the peace agreement.
He called for the release of First Vice President and Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation in Opposition, Dr. Riek Machar, who has been put under house arrest.
“Release the first vice president, Dr. Riek Machar, and other political and military officials who are unlawfully detained in Blue House,” Majongdit appealed.
“The violation of the agreement should not be unjustly blamed on the SPLM-IO under Dr. Riek Machar, the first vice president. Let us prioritize the agreement, not partisan interests,” he added.
Since the detention of Dr. Riek Machar, a signatory to the 2018 peace deal, in March, tensions have escalated across the country, marked by aerial bombardments of SPLM-IO-controlled areas and the detention of SPLM-IO officials.
While the government asserts that Machar’s arrest has not adversely affected the peace agreement, his party contends that the detention of Machar and his allies has effectively rendered the deal null and void.
With the recent declaration of a parallel government in SPLM-IO-controlled areas, it remains to be seen how the Unity government will respond.
