By Matik Kueth
The Deputy Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), Oyet Nathaniel, has suspended five prominent party members for allegedly engaging in subversive activities aimed at betraying and ousting FVP Dr. Riek Machar from the party’s leadership and supporting its rival faction, the SPLM-IG.
This decision came after a consultative meeting in held at Palm Africa Hotel on Wednesday, where the SPLM-IO Juba group, led by Stephen Phar Kuol, appointed him the new party’s interim chairman, with Losuba Wongo as Deputy Interim Chairman and Agok Makur as Secretary-General.
Key officials suspended include Losuba Wongo, Minister of Federal Affairs, Deng Akon, Alier Samuel Ateny, Deputy Chairperson of the Specialized committee on Members Affairs in the NTLA, Mustafa Gibson, and John Dak, all members of the Political Bureau and National Liberation Council, have been suspended after deliberately conducting actions that mars party unity.
In a statement, Nathaniel underlined the gravity of the refills, stating that, “Hon. Losuba engaged in activities in support of the SPLM-IG to create disunity in the party and abrogate the R-ARCSS.”
The suspensions reflect the internal strife within the SPLM/A-IO, with Wongo allegedly participating in organizing an illegal meeting to “overthrow the Constitutional Order” of the party.
Nathaniel noted that Wongo is “acting with the support of the SPLM-IG political and Security apparatus,” framing his actions as a threat to both the party and the stability of South Sudan’s governmental structure.
The suspensions of the other officers follow an identical narrative, implying a coordinated effort to fracture the SPLM/A-IO’s cohesiveness and weaken its leadership under Dr. Riek Machar.
The disciplinary actions extend beyond mere suspensions; Nathaniel announced that the individuals will face a disciplinary committee.
“The aforementioned comrades shall appear before a disciplinary Committee that shall be constituted in accordance with the basic documents of the SPLM-IO,” he stated.
His announcement illustrates the SPLM/A-IO’s turbulent internal dynamics and the critical implications of divided loyalties among its leadership.
On April 7, Nathaniel also suspended Phar Kuol, Stephen Par Kuol, and Gatwech Lam Puoch, prior SPLM-IO members of the peace monitoring board, and appointed former Minister of Health Yolanda Awel and Minister of Mining Martin Abucha Gama as new representatives to the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (R-JMEC).
He accused Kuol of meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni during a recent visit to Juba and discussing matters with officials of the SPLM transitional government, which he claimed violated party regulations.
Nethaniel stressed that Abucha will succeed Kuol, and Awel would replace Puoch, who has been unable to perform his duties owing to arrest by South Sudan’s National Security Service.
However, in a surprising twist yesterday, Kuol declared himself as the SLPM/A-IO’s new interim chair, with Wongo as the interim chairman of the SPLM/A-IO.
He urged peace parties involved in the ongoing military offensive to cease operations to create a conducive environment for peaceful dialogue.
Kuol also claimed that his faction has “delinked” from Nathaniel Oyet, emphasizing a rift among the party’s leadership.
Since the arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar on March 26, 2025, other key SPLM-IO officials have fled the country to avoid arrest, following the detention of several colleagues earlier in March.
The turmoil within SPLM/A-IO reflects the precarious situation for the opposition party and its leadership in the country.