In an interesting turn of events in the standoff between Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) members loyal to incarcerated Chairman and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and Interim Chairperson Stephen Par, the former have rubbished their suspension from the party by the latter.
On Monday, a group of 18 senior members of the SPLM-IO Political Bureau in Juba issued a statement disowning an interim leadership faction led by Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol and reaffirming their allegiance to detained leader Riek Machar.
In a knee-jerk reaction on Tuesday, Par, who has been presenting as the SPLM/A-IO interim chairperson since shortly after Dr. Machar’s house arrest, issued a statement suspending 33 leading members of the outfit.
“In accordance with Resolutions of the National Liberation Council (NLC) Extraordinary Meeting held in Juba on the 9 April 2025 under Article 20.1 of the SPLM Constitution, 2008 Amended 2015, with powers vested in me under Article 28.1 of the Constitution, I Hon. Amb. Stephen Par Kuol, the Interim Chairman and Commander in Chief SPLM/A-IO do hereby suspend the following members from their membership from the party, assignment in the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity and other mechanisms of the R-ARCSS 2018 as here under,” Par wrote.
However, speaking exclusively to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday morning, Pal Mai Deng, the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation who doubles as the Chairperson of the SPLM-IO’s National Committee for Information and Communication, said Par was living in a hallucination.
“I saw the statement, read it a few minutes ago, and what comes to my mind is that Stephen Par is hallucinating and seized by fear. He is hallucinating because he is not even recognized by the Chairman of the SPLM/A-IO; because of his subversive activities with the government, the leadership of the SPLM/A-IO decided to remove and outlaw him from the SPLM/A-IO,” he charged. “It is unfortunate that he still calls himself the interim chairperson of the SPLM-IO. Who gave him this title and position, yet he has been removed for his subversive activities?”
“When I read the document, I also saw that he signed as commander-in-chief. Commander-in-Chief of which force? As we speak, no single soldier of SPLA-IO has declared his allegiance to Par,” Mai added.
He said the SPLA-IO forces are currently under the command of SPLM/A-IO Acting Chairman Oyet Nathaniel and are being attacked across the country.
“So, where does Par get forces from for which he can give himself the title of being commander-in-chief? That is why I am saying that Par is acting within a hallucination,” Mai stated. “The reason why I say he is seized by fear is that he was taken to Blue House (National Security Service Headquarters) and investigated before being released. So, the decision for him to pay allegiance to the SPLM Party (of President Salva Kiir), which is now using him as a destructive tool to destabilize SPLM/A-IO, is out of fear.”
“So, what Par has written is completely rubbish, has no substance, and no bearing on the SPLM/A-IO, because he is the one who has been removed,” he added.
According to Mai, Par’s claim that to have used the SPLM-IO constitution or the sitting of the National Liberation Council to suspend them from the party does not make sense, as he has no critical numbers.
“What we know is that he is an individual who has been removed from the party and is now an outlaw, so he does not have any power at all to remove any of us,” he concluded.
The list of senior SPLM-IO officials Par suspended includes Oyet Nathaniel Pierino, Riang Yer Zuor, Deng Deng Akoon, Angelina Teny, Pal Mai Deng, Juol Nhomngek Daniel, Regina Joseph Kaba, Paul Baba Ezibon Bafe, Gai Mayen Luk, Isaac Khemis Paul, Samson Amule Masiete, Emmanuel Primo Okello, Matata Frank Elikana, and Mary Alphones Lodira.
The others are Martin Gama Abucha, Wiu Kun Kaiyang, Joseph Malual Deng, Yolanda Awel Deng, Peter Marcello Jelenge, Sandra Bona Malual, Elizabeth Acuei Yel, Nyenagwek Kuol Mareng, Kuong Dak Wie, Mary KongKong James, Ann Dokki Matayo, Jackson Charles Wani, John Jooyul Yol, and Farouk Gatkuoth Kam.