Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A senior member of South Susan’s main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny is saying that former SPLA-IO Commander, Gen. Khor Chuol Giet was ‘breaking ice’ when he claimed in a statement that Machar is a tribal politician.
General Khor defected in August from Dr. Riek Machar following the split in the SPLM-IO after an attempt by General James Gatwech Dual to remove Machar as the chairman and commander in chief of the main armed opposition group that sparked deadly violence in northern Upper Nile.
The former opposition commander last month returned to Juba to prepare for integration of his forces into South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), and also to meet President Kiir to discuss other essential issues affecting his soldiers, according to close allies to him.
In an address to the media following a meeting with President Salva Kiir last week, Gen. Khor said they “left SPLM/A-IO under Dr Riek Machar because they wanted to set their people free from the tribal hatred and sectional conflicts projected on them by SPLM/A-IO under the leadership of Dr. Riek Machar.”
The top opposition commander further tressed that they “are the one governing the civilians and soldiers at the ground and currently there is no more SPLM/A-IO in Gajaak areas and there is no going back and they are for peace, stability and their people need services delivery.”
But speaking to Sudans Post on Monday evening, Dut Majokdit, senior member of the SPLM-IO and close ally of First Vice-President Machar said the former opposition commander was breaking ice to seek position in the name of Machar.
“Dr. Riek Machar Teny is not a tribalist person and because of that you know how the politics work in our country, people who first have to break ice in the name of a certain person before getting a positing,” he said.
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