The commander of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) Division 6A in Western Bahr el Ghazal State, Maj. Gen. Joseph Benson, has rejected a reported promotion to first lieutenant general and his appointment as Sector 8 commander.
The appointment order was issued Tuesday by Nathaniel Oyet, acting chairman and commander-in-chief of the SPLA-IO. Oyet assumed leadership of the opposition group in an acting capacity following the detention of SPLA-IO leader and First Vice President Riek Machar in March.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, Benson rejected the appointment, calling it “politically motivated” and intended to undermine peace efforts in the state.
“My name is Gen. Joseph Benson, Division 6A, Wau. The order that came out—if you look at it—it’s clear that people are trying to drag us into problems,” he said. “Since 2018, our motto in Western Bahr el Ghazal has been peace.”
Benson, who is based in the state capital, Wau, questioned the legitimacy of the promotion by Oyet, saying it did not follow proper military channels.
“If there is a military promotion, it should come from the headquarters with official communication,” he said. “This one—I don’t know where it came from. It’s like it came from the market. I am a trained military officer, and I am not part of what has happened.”
He urged fellow SPLA-IO commanders across the country to disregard the announcement.
“I call on all SPLA-IO commanders who received this information to disregard it. I have not been promoted to first lieutenant general, and I am not the Sector 8 commander. This is a political move designed to create confusion in the state,” he added.
Benson’s rejection signals a possible alignment with the SPLA-IO breakaway faction led by Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol or another dissident group. Since Machar’s arrest, much of the SPLA-IO’s military wing has aligned itself with Oyet.
Col. Lam Paul Gabriel, spokesperson for Machar’s SPLA-IO faction, could not immediately be reached for comment.
The controversy follows the appointment last week of Maj. Gen. Sherif Daniel Sherif as governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal by President Salva Kiir. Sherif is a member of the SPLA-IO faction aligned with Kuol.
Machar and Kiir signed a peace agreement in 2018 to end a five-year civil war that killed an estimated 400,000 people. However, key provisions—including the unification of armed forces, drafting of a permanent constitution, and preparations for national elections—remain unfulfilled.
Implementation efforts have been further complicated by a deepening split within the SPLM-IO following the detention of its leader Riek Machar. In April, a Juba-based faction led by Kuol declared an interim leadership and pledged cooperation with Kiir, a move rejected by Machar loyalists under Oyet’s leadership.
Western Bahr el Ghazal has remained one of the SPLA-IO’s strongholds since the signing of the 2018 peace deal.