JUBA — March 28, 2025. South Sudan’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) has condemned the recent replacement of its detained deputy chief of defense forces, General Gabriel Duop Lam, by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF). The SPLA-IO described the move as a violation of the revitalized peace agreement. General Koang Gatkuoth Kerjok was appointed as acting deputy chief of defense forces by the SSPDF without SPLA-IO consent.
The SPLA-IO maintains that the decision, made earlier this month after General Lam’s detention during clashes in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, was unilaterally imposed to sow discord within their ranks. The clashes reportedly involved the White Army, a militia aligned with the SPLA-IO during the 2013-2018 civil war.
Army spokesman Lul Ruai Koang confirmed Kerjok’s appointment, asserting it would facilitate transitional security arrangements. However, SPLA-IO spokesman Col. Lam Paul Gabriel countered that the appointment undermines the SPLA-IO’s leadership and violates established peace protocols.
In a public statement, Gabriel emphasized SPLA-IO leader Riek Machar’s continued command over the organization. He urged the international community and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to intervene and secure Machar’s release, citing concerns over his forced presence in Juba under insufficient protection.
This incident marks a critical point in South Sudan’s fragile peace process, as tensions rise over perceived breaches of the 2018 agreement designed to unify the nation’s divided forces and leadership.
