The opposition SPLM-IO Political Bureau, aligned with detained First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, on Monday condemned the tabling of proposed amendments to South Sudan’s 2018 peace agreement before parliament and the removal of its MPs from the Council of States.
In a statement issued after a meeting held on May 11, 2026, the Political Bureau said it discussed two issues: the introduction of the Amendment Bill before the Transitional National Legislature (TNL) and the removal of 10 members of the Council of States representing SPLM-IO.
The group said it “condemns the action of the government,” alleging the process violated the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), including Article 1.14.8, which it said requires the legislature to support and enact laws that facilitate transitional processes and reforms.
It also accused the Transitional National Legislature of bypassing the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), which it said is required under Article 8.4 of the agreement, and of pursuing what it described as a non-inclusive process.
The Political Bureau said it supported SPLM-IO lawmakers in the Transitional National Legislature who declined to back the bill, describing it as an attempt to “abrogate the Agreement once and for all.”
It further condemned the removal of 10 SPLM-IO members from the Council of States by President Salva Kiir on May 4, 2026, saying the move came ahead of the presentation of the amendment bill.
The group also expressed concern over what it said were social media threats targeting SPLM-IO members following their walkout in protest against the bill, urging public attention to the matter.
The statement was signed by Eng. Joseph Malwal Dong, Chairperson of the SPLM-IO Committee on Foreign Affairs and designated focal person of the Political Bureau in Juba.
and then