Matik Kueth
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A senior army general from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) switched allegiance to the SPLM in Unity State on Monday.
Maj. Yai Pazale, Deputy Spokesperson of the SPLA-IO, told The City Review on Tuesday that Brig. Gen. Machuol Nguen defected to the SPLM on Sunday.
He said Brig. Gen. Nguen defected to the SPLM with no soldiers or weapons.
“I thought he would bring his soldiers but he did not bring them. So, he was with us until the graduation of the unified forces. What I can just tell you is that he came alone and he has defected back to the SPLM-IG alone with no gun and no soldiers,” he stated.
Maj. Pazale claimed that Brig. Gen. Nguen joined SPLA-IO in 2022 in Khartoum without a gun or a soldier.
He argued that although Brig. Gen. Nguen alleged that he regretted joining SPLA-IO, Nguen had not contributed enough to the SPLA-IO movement for him to castigate them.
“Well, commander Machuol was the South Sudan Police Services organized unit commander that was deployed in the Kaljak cantonment area. He was the one representing police in that training centre in 2021,” Maj. Pazale said.
He added, “In 2022, he gave me a call and told me that he had defected from the SPLM and joined SPLM-IO. He was in Khartoum when he defected to the SPLA-IO. Then I told him that when you come, we will meet. So, when he came, we met and I thought he came with his soldiers, but he did not. A Brigadier General defecting with no gun and an army just defecting like that. I heard he said he regretted the day he joined SPLA-IO and he did not contribute anything to the SPLA-IO,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Machuol Nguen announced his defection to the SPLM on Sunday after citing frustration and regret about joining SPLA-IO in 2022.
He pledged to support President Kiir praising him as “the only visionary leader for South Sudan.”
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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