Daniel Deng Mario Deng, the suspended commissioner of Cueibet County, has resigned from the main opposition party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), and defected to the ruling party.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Deng cited pressure from his community and a belief that the opposition SPLM-IO is ineffective as his primary reasons for leaving. He confirmed the authenticity of a resignation letter he tendered on Sunday.
“I resigned willingly from the SPLM-IO as a party,” Deng said. “The opposition party is supposed to be united for the common good of the citizens, but the SPLM-IO has been divided into factions.”
Deng, who had been suspended from his post by Lakes State Governor Rin Tueny Mabor in April, argued that meaningful political reform in South Sudan can only be achieved from within the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
“I decided to defect to the ruling party in order to embrace what many people desire,” he said, adding that the SPLM, while facing challenges, should be reformed internally. “Let’s come back to the SPLM and reform it internally, not from the outside… in other political parties. That’s my message to the citizens.”
He described his decision as a response to persistent pressure from his community, family, and friends. “It was a tough decision to make,” Deng said. “But, in fact, it was a call, and they persistently lobbied me… to represent their interests.”
Deng also expressed frustration with the public perception of opposition figures, stating they are often labeled as “rebels” and their ideas are dismissed. He referenced the continued house arrest of SPLM-IO leader and First Vice President Riek Machar as a factor in his decision.
“Dr. Riek Machar is a leader, but the situation he is in now doesn’t allow most of us to wait until he is released,” Deng said.
When asked for comment, the SPLM-IO secretary general in Lakes State, Alek Malaak, provided context on Deng’s prior status within the party. She stated that Deng was suspended because he refused to join the SPLM-IO’s interim leadership under Ambassador Par Kuol, which was established to continue the party’s work while Machar is detained.
“The reason why he was suspended was that he did not want to join the SPLM-IO interim leadership under Ambassador Par Kuol and that he wanted to wait for Dr. Riek Machar,” Malaak said. “Now the former commissioner… who refused to join the SPLM-IO interim leadership… has now left Dr. Riek Machar’s camp and joined the ruling SPLM party.”
She emphasized that Deng’s move was an individual decision and not part of a wider defection. “No other SPLM-IO members have joined another party. We are still members of the SPLM-IO,” Mario said.
South Sudan is governed by a 2018 power-sharing peace deal that brings together various political parties, including the ruling SPLM and the opposition SPLM-IO.
The implementation of the deal has faced challenges, causing delays in unifying the various armed forces and preparing the country for general elections by December 2026 to transition to a democratic government.