The meeting, convened by suspended senior members including Stephen Par Kuol, is set to bring together SPLM-IO members from the Political Bureau, National Liberation Council, and Parliament.

By Emmanuel Mandella

Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) is set to turn another tide as a group of recently suspended senior officials of the party have called for a “consultative meeting” in Juba today—deepening the current controversies surrounding the country’s main opposition party.

The meeting, convened by suspended four officials, including Stephen Par Kuol, is set to bring together SPLM-IO members from the Political Bureau, National Liberation Council, and Parliament.

But the party’s acting chairman, Oyet Nathaniel, has denounced the gathering as illegal and a plot backed by the ruling SPLM party and foreign elements to derail the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.

“The peace agreement is as good as dead if this continues. The Juba meeting is not only unauthorized but also orchestrated by enemies of peace,” Oyet warned, accusing some unnamed militias, the ruling party and foreign forces for being behind the chaos.

Oyet, who also serves as the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, recently suspended Par Kuol and three others for allegedly collaborating with other forces to oust SPLM-IO party leader Dr. Riek Machar—a move Par swiftly dismissed as “the joke of the year.”

Following Dr. Machar’s house arrest, the opposition party has undergone various changes, with some of the key officials going into hiding or fleeing the country, while others are mobilizing in Juba under what Ding Lam, a suspended lawmaker calls “a leadership vacuum that demands immediate action.”

“We are not here to stage a coup. We are gathering to explore the way forward amid Machar’s arrest and paralysis at the top,” Lam told the media. “Our constitution provides for such a consultative meeting.”

Lam further accused Oyet of abandoning his duties by fleeing abroad, saying, “You cannot lead from outside while suspending people through letters. We’re here, working to preserve what’s left of the peace.”

South Sudan’s civil society voices are beginning to sound the alarm over the implications of the SPLM-IO’s internal rift.

John Baba Samson, Executive Director of the Center for Peace and Democratic Dialogue, told The City Review that, “What we are witnessing is a potential return to 2016. If this rift is not managed carefully, the SPLM-IO could split into two or more factions, each claiming legitimacy. That will be disastrous for the implementation of the peace agreement and the upcoming elections.”

He urged both factions to exercise restraint and prioritize dialogue over division.

“If SPLM-IO leaders don’t reconcile fast, they risk turning the party into a footnote in South Sudan’s history,” said Samson.

The latest developments have triggered widespread unease, especially among observers who recall the 2016 political crisis that saw Dr. Machar replaced by VP Taban Deng after similar internal tensions and violence in Juba.

“This could be a repeat of history,” said Maria Alex, a political analyst based in Juba. “Every time SPLM-IO weakens from within, it risks giving room for outside actors to dictate terms. How badly the party splits depend on its leadership.”

Oyet’s office shut down

As the developments continue, yesterday, parliament shut down Oyet Nathaniel’s office after disappearance.

The leadership of Transitional National Legislative Assembly officially closed the office of First Deputy Speaker Oyet Nathaniel Pierino following his unexplained disappearance.

Assembly spokesperson Oliver Mori announced the decision during a statement aired on the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Tuesday evening, adding that the leadership had also ordered an immediate suspension of the use of the office’s official stamp.

“The leadership has taken such decisions — closure of his office,” Mori said.

As today’s meeting draw closer, all eyes will be on the resolutions and their impact on the future of the opposition party.