By: Chol Mawel
South Sudan’s main opposition group, the SPLM-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), has declared the unity government “collapsed” and illegitimate, pledging to pursue “regime change” following the suspension and indictment of its leader, First Vice President Riek Machar.
In a statement issued Monday, the SPLM-IO said the government formed under the 2018 peace agreement has been “destroyed,” accusing President Salva Kiir’s faction of orchestrating a “setup of dictatorship” and “state capture.”
The declaration came after a three-day virtual meeting of the movement’s political and military leadership, convened in response to Machar’s suspension and charges linked to a militia attack in Nasir. Acting chairman Oyet Nathaniel Pierino described the indictment as a “politically motivated witch-hunt” and a violation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
The SPLM-IO said Machar’s suspension halts the implementation of the peace accord’s political and security provisions, rendering the transitional government illegitimate. The resolution urged supporters to “report for National Service” and to use “all means available to regain their country and sovereignty.”
The statement did not specify whether SPLM-IO members would withdraw from government structures. It also rejected participation in court proceedings against its members, calling the judicial process “illegal” and “incompetent,” while allowing legal professionals to represent detainees on human rights grounds.
The group demanded the immediate release of Machar and other political detainees, warning that failure to comply would force them to “use all means to demand their release.” Juba authorities have yet to respond.
