By Matik Kueth
As South Sudan’s fragile peace faces its most serious test, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) has accused President Salva Kiir of systematically dismantling the provisions of the 2018 peace agreement, warning that the government may soon lose its legitimacy.
In a statement extended to King Media on Friday, Oyet Nathaniel, Acting Chairman of the SPLM/SPLA-IO, outlined a series of alleged breaches of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), singling out multiple unilateral dismissals and appointments within the transitional government.
These moves, Nathaniel argued, violate key power-sharing clauses enshrined in the agreement.
“I write to Your Excellency to report yet another serious and systematic political violation of the R-ARCSS in the country. The SPLM/SPLA-IO shall consider declaring the Government of South Sudan and the President Kiir illegitimate if all the violations of the R-ARCSS are not addressed,” he stated, pointing to a pattern of what the SPLM-IO calls “unilateral replacements” made by President Kiir.
Among the most notable changes, the SPLM-IO claimed that Sarah Cleto Rial was appointed as national Minister of Health without consultation, while ten SPLM-IO county commissioners, including Peter Alberto (Maban County) and Adhar Akok Adordit (Twic County), and many others were dismissed without consensus.
These actions, Nathaniel said, are in “violation of Articles 1.12 and 1.13.1 of the Agreement.”
The SPLM-IO Acting Chair also noted that Kiir’s administration has been systematically stripping its senior officials of power.
“After detaining the First Vice President, the Minister of Petroleum, and stripping his powers, and the Deputy Chief of Defense Forces… H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit is increasingly making the Government of South Sudan and himself illegitimate,” he stressed.
Fragile peace
The R-ARCSS, signed in 2018, was seen as a critical pathway out of a devastating civil war that left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced.
The agreement mandated a power-sharing government, where positions would be fairly distributed among the incumbent Transitional Government of National Unity (TGONU), SPLM/SPLA-IO, South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), Former Detainees (FDs), and Other Political Parties.
According to the agreement’s Article 1.3.1.1, “the RTGONU is composed of signatories,” a structure the SPLM-IO says is now being actively undermined.
However, the implementation of the accord has seen peace decline, with the government refusing to cooperate on the Tumaini Initiative to incorporate holdout groups that were not part of the original peace pact.
SPLM-IO’s internal rift
The SPLM-IO saga is also contributing considerably to the breakdown of the peace process, as Stephen Kuol’s group in Juba claims to be keeping the party running despite Dr. Riek Machar’s house detention.
Kuol, currently the peacebuilding minister, told King Media in an interview on Thursday that his group will not run from the political crisis engulfing the party but will instead remain in Juba to “keep the party alive and operational” despite the detention of its leader, Dr. Riek Machar, a claim SPLM-IO exiles loyal to Machar view as a betrayal.
He alleged that those who claim to be Machar’s loyalists in exile are driven by “fearful posturing” and personal survival instincts rather than a commitment to the SPLM-IO cause.
Kuol also confirmed Sarah Cleto’s appointment to the Health Ministry, citing it as a response to serious public health concerns and made upon recommendation.
The peace-building minister also emphasized the party’s readiness to hand power back to Machar if he is acquitted and released.
“This is interim. If Dr. Machar returns, we step aside. But until then, the movement must not die,” he stressed.
Regional appeal
Despite regional and international appeals for the release of Dr. Machar and other political detainees, the government has remained silent, refusing to provide any clarity about their release.
Meanwhile, the SPLM-IO continues to face the simultaneous challenge of remaining politically relevant while enduring its most severe internal crisis since its inception.