More than 100 members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) in Eastern Equatoria State have announced their defection to rejoin the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Party ahead of South Sudan’s anticipated December elections.
The group, led by former Eastern Equatoria Deputy Governor Karlo Andrew Akwo, announced its decision during a welcoming ceremony at the SPLM Party State Secretariat in Torit on Wednesday.
Reading a declaration addressed to SPLM-IO interim chairman Stephen Par Kuol, Akwo said the members requested that their names and membership records be removed from the party’s registers and structures.
The group also communicated its decision to rejoin the SPLM Party under the leadership of President Salva Kiir Mayardit through Eastern Equatoria SPLM Chairperson General Louis Lobong Lojore.
Akwo said the decision was guided by the spirit of the Arusha Agreement on the reunification of the SPLM.
He said more than 100 members were joining the ruling party, although some could not attend the ceremony because of logistical challenges.
Akileo Mboya Peter Anyanga, the SPLM Party State Secretary, welcomed the returning members, describing their decision as an opportunity to promote reconciliation, forgiveness and renewed cooperation.
“You are our brothers and sisters. Your return reminds us that no matter the differences we may have experienced, the bonds that bind us are stronger than those that divide us,” he said. “Your decision to rejoin the SPLM (Party) demonstrates that our shared aspirations for peace, stability, and development are stronger than our political differences.”
He urged party members to put past disagreements behind them and strengthen grassroots mobilization, membership registration, and participation in party activities.
Meanwhile, Dr. Margaret Itto Leonardo, the SPLM Party Deputy Chairperson in the state, called on political leaders across South Sudan to abandon hatred and conflict and work towards peaceful coexistence.
“Today is great because we are receiving our brothers and sisters who have joined us. I was happy to hear that there are more with you,” she said. “If we go back to our history when we stood together in the liberation [struggle] as Southern Sudanese, we won because of being together.”
She said Eastern Equatoria had room for political leaders willing to contribute to public service and development, urging members to work together in preparation for the elections.
Relatedly, Mussa Albino Karmato, a former chief whip of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) in the Eastern Equatoria State Transitional Parliament, also announced his return to the SPLM.
Karmato called on political leaders and party members to embrace unity, warning that internal divisions could undermine their ability to serve communities.
For his part, Mathew Ugwak, a former member of the State Peace Commission nominated by the SPLM-IO, said he left the SPLM Party in 2015 following disagreements linked to divisions within his community in Lafon County.
He said he had to work outside the party to help reunite his community and was now returning with a renewed commitment to unity.
He warned that political disagreements among leaders could spill over into communities and undermine social cohesion.
Ruth Marious Bugga, the SPLM Party deputy secretary for research in Eastern Equatoria State, described the return of former members as a significant political development and urged members to embrace forgiveness and work towards a common goal.
The announcements come as South Sudan prepares for general elections scheduled for December 22, 2026.
The extent to which the return of former opposition members will affect the SPLM Party’s membership and electoral support in Eastern Equatoria remains to be seen.
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