By Matik Kueth
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) has called for the release of its members arrested by the government, including Deputy Army Chief Gen. Duop Lam and Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Pal Mai Deng, SPLM-IO Spokesperson, lambasted the arrest of top SPLM-IO leaders as unlawful incarceration.
He said that the move contradicts both the R-ARCSS and the JBD institution in charge of commanding all forces.
“This morning, Lt. Gen. Gabriel Doup Lam, the Deputy Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) of the SSPDF, the Acting Chief of Staff of the SPLA (IO), and Co-Chair of the Joint Defense Board (JDB) was arrested by Gen. Paul Nang, the Chief of Defense Forces of the SSPDF. This action violates the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) and cripples the Joint Defense Board, a vital institution of the Agreement responsible for the command and control of all forces. This act puts the entire agreement at risk. The SPLM (IO) urges the release of Gen. Gabriel Doup Lam and calls upon all parties to continue exerting joint efforts to ensure an end to the violence in Upper Nile State,” Deng said.
Deng expressed concern over the deployment of soldiers surrounding First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar’s residence, noting that the measure jeopardizes efforts to de-escalate the situation in Nasir.
“We are also gravely concerned about the heavy deployment of SSPDF around the residence of H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, the First Vice President and Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLM/A (IO). These actions erode confidence and trust among the parties and jeopardize efforts to de-escalate the current violence that erupted in Nasir County of Upper Nile State,” he stated.
The SPLM-IO spokesperson urged R-ARCSS peace monitors to intervene in order to avoid a return to full-scale fighting.
He further reaffirmed SPLM-IO’s commitment to implementing the Agreement in letter and spirit.
On March 4, 2025, the local armed youth, known as the “white army,” stormed the SSPDF military barracks in Wec-Yar-Adiu, killing numerous troops in Nasir County, Upper Nile State.
However, the government arrested top SPLM-IO officials in Juba, claiming that the conflict in Nasir was not a spontaneous uprising, but rather a coordinated effort led by SPLA-IO forces chanting their faction’s slogan (SPLA-IO Viva), as seen in videos circulating on social media, according to government spokesperson, Michael Makuei.
He pointed out that Lam, Kang, and other SPLM-IO officials were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the continuing battle between armed youth and the SSPDF in Nasir and Ulang counties.