The SPLM-IO faction in Juba has appointed an interim leadership following the ongoing house arrest of their leader, Riek Machar. In a consultative meeting held on April 9, 2025, the faction named Stephen Par Kuol as interim chairman, with Lasuba Wango as deputy interim chairman and Agok Makur as secretary-general.
However, the meeting was largely boycotted by senior SPLM-IO leaders, including Angelina Teny and Secretary-General Regina Kaba. The participants called for Machar’s immediate release and stated that he would resume leadership once freed from detention.
Ambassador Stephen Phar Kuol, who had previously served as National Minister of Peacebuilding, addressed the decision to relieve Oyet Nathaniel from his position as deputy chairman. The move follows Oyet’s absence from the party’s base in Juba. Kuol reaffirmed the faction’s commitment to the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement, stating:
“As we move forward, the SPLM-IO remains resolute in our mission to advocate for the rights and dignity of South Sudanese and to foster a future rooted in peace, unity, and reconciliation.”
This leadership reshuffle is viewed by some as a party coup and seen as a direct challenge to the authority of Deputy Chairman Oyet Nathaniel, who is allegedly out of the country.