Defection Signals Shifting Loyalties
Nine members of the SPLA-IO, led by Brigadier-General Taban Daniel Dominic, crossed into the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State, according to local officials.
Officials said eight other officers and enlisted personnel followed the brigadier, lifting the total to nine defectors acknowledged by county authorities.
Claims of Fragmented Leadership
In a Magwi press briefing, Gen. Taban accused the SPLA-IO of privileging the personal ambitions of Dr. Riek Machar over frontline welfare, describing leadership as “self-serving” and beset by rivalry.
He argued that repeated splits had drained cohesion from Sector 9 forces stationed near the Ugandan border, eroding morale and supplies.
Government Reception in Magwi
County Commissioner Pole Pole Benjamin welcomed the soldiers, calling the move a step toward local stability and urging communities to ‘close ranks for peace’.
Brigadier-General Kulang Tarik Chuol Koda of the SSPDF promised swift integration and warned newcomers against ‘returning to the bush’, noting assignments would follow standard vetting.
Opposition Counters the Narrative
SPLA-IO deputy spokesperson Colonel Paul Lam Gabriel disputed the headcount, confirming only Gen. Taban and Colonel Otema Luka Apire had departed, while describing wider defection claims as ‘propaganda’.
Elections Timeline Adds Pressure
The defections surface as Juba faces regional urging to stage long-delayed national elections, heightening scrutiny of each armed group’s unity and ability to police polling centres.
Context of Recent Violence
Days earlier, armed men attacked a National Security Service base in Kapoeta South, killing five officers and wounding nine. The SPLA-IO acknowledged the strike, citing alleged abuses by state agents.
Observers warn that retaliatory cycles risk spilling across Eastern Equatoria’s porous borders, complicating humanitarian corridors and trade routes vital to local farming markets.
What Next for Magwi?
County elders advocate dialogue committees to monitor troop behaviour and to reassure displaced families considering returns before planting season.
For now, the SSPDF statement stresses ‘doors remain open’ for more defections, even as opposition leaders insist their core ranks stay intact.