General Makuach Teny quits SPLM-IO, urges Machar and Kiir to step aside
February 29, 2016 (KAMPALA) – Makuach Teny, a senior military officer in the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO), has declared his defection from the faction led by the first vice president designate, Riek Machar, and called on both Machar and President Salva Kiir to step aside from the top leadership in the country.
He accused Machar and Kiir of dragging the country into the bloodbath and said they should not take part in the would-be formed transitional government of national unity (TGoNU).
In a phone interview with Sudan Tribune on Monday, Teny, a Nuer from Leer county of Unity state where Machar hails from, also accused Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups in general of allegedly having spoiled South Sudan. He called on the international community to support and help bring to top leadership another leader from the other 60+ tribes to run the country.
“The issue was very clear [that] it is unfair that both leaders have led bloodshed within the country [and] are still coming to rule the country. South Sudanese still live in fear as they think [the] same scenario will repeat itself again,” he said.
He said president Kiir and his former deputy Machar should instead apologize to the people of South Sudan and repent for their mistakes instead of wanting to resume the leadership of the country.
“There is need for Machar and Kiir to leave the power otherwise their coming together as leaders is a curse to South Sudanese. No trust for Riek and Kiir any more after putting the country back to war,” Teny added.
He said it was a big mistake when the peace agreement which the two leaders signed in August 2015 provided for continuation of their leadership in the young nation’s transitional government.
He argued that Machar and Kiir had worked together for the last ten years and failed to lead South Sudanese people, urging them to vacate upcoming formation of transitional government of national unity.
On his defection from the SPLM-IO, General Teny blamed Machar and former governor of Unity state, Taban Deng Gai, for allegedly mismanaging the SPLM-IO affairs, accusing them of working for self-interest rather than for the war victims in the country.
It is unclear what may be behind Teny’s intention to criticize both Machar and Kiir at the time when an agreement has been signed and a transitional unity government is nearing formation.
An official of the SPLM-IO who spoke to Sudan Tribune on condition of anonymity said Teny, like any other officials who defected during the month of February, did so after learning that they will not be appointed to national legislative and executive positions in the coming transitional government.
(ST)