South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Jenifer James
The opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in opposition (SPLM-IO) has suspended the Minister of Peacebuilding, Stephen Par Kuol, and three other senior officials accusing them of engaging in activities aimed at creating disunity within the party.
These suspensions are tied to allegations that the individuals were trying to replace Dr. Riek Machar Teny, the First Vice President and Chairman of the SPLM/SPLA-IO who is currently under house arrest.
In a statement on Monday, the Deputy Chairperson of the SPLM- IO, Oyet Nathaniel Pierino explained that Minister Kuol, Agok Makur Kur and Ding Lam and Luke Thompson Thoan have been removed from the SPLM-IO Political Bureau and the National Liberation Council respectively.
Kuol was also removed as representative of the opposition party in the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring Evaluation Commission (RJMEC).
The SPLM-IO Deputy Chairman accused the suspended officials of engaging in activities intended to support the SPLM-IG led by President Salva Kiir to replace Machar, who is solely recognized in the 2018 revitalized peace agreement as the legitimate leader of the SPLM-IO.
The suspension order emphasized that the individuals were acting “with the support of the SPLM-IG political and security apparatus to orchestrate this plan.”
Pierino further noted that these suspensions were necessary to maintain party unity and safeguard the peace agreement.
According to the order, the suspended members will appear before a disciplinary committee, which will be formed in accordance with the SPLM-IO’s foundational documents.
The order was signed on April 7, 2025, and came into effect immediately.
