Internal divisions within South Sudan’s opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) have deepened after Secretary-General Regina Joseph Kapa announced the suspension of Acting Chairman and Commander-in-Chief Oyet Nathaniel Pierino.
Kapa’s move comes just a day after Oyet issued a separate order suspending her and several other senior officials, escalating an increasingly bitter leadership dispute within the movement.
In her latest order, Kapa suspended Oyet and declared herself Acting Deputy Chairperson and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLA-IO.
The rival orders have created further uncertainty over the SPLM-IO’s chain of command, with both sides asserting authority and challenging the legitimacy of the other’s decisions.
Oyet had earlier issued an order dated August 31, 2026, suspending Kapa and several other senior officials. He accused them of “gross misconduct,” violating the movement’s foundational documents and refusing to work collectively with its political and military leadership.
He also accused the officials of defying orders of the Political Bureau and making unilateral decisions that allegedly contributed to “deaths, division, and friction” within the movement.
Oyet’s order said the suspensions were “without prejudice” to any separate disciplinary proceedings, investigations or sanctions that could follow under the movement’s rules.
It further directed SPLM-IO organs and members to uphold the authority of the Political Bureau and the principle of collective leadership.
Kapa’s decision to suspend Oyet and assume additional leadership responsibilities now sets the stage for a direct confrontation between two of the movement’s senior figures.
The dispute also raises broader questions about who has the authority to make binding decisions and represent the SPLM-IO while its chairman, Riek Machar, remains in detention.
Leadership vacuum
Since Machar’s detention in March 2025, the SPLM-IO has operated under a complex interim leadership arrangement, with Oyet assuming the roles of acting chairman and commander-in-chief.
Machar was detained in Juba amid a worsening political and security crisis following fighting in Nasir County, Upper Nile State.
With Machar unable to exercise day-to-day control over the movement, Oyet took on key leadership responsibilities in an acting capacity.
The latest exchange of suspension orders threatens to further weaken the movement’s already fragile internal structures and could deepen divisions between its political and military leadership.
It remains unclear how the competing orders will be implemented across the SPLM-IO’s political and military structures, or whether the Political Bureau will intervene to resolve the dispute.
The leadership crisis comes as Machar’s continued detention continues to shape the internal politics of the SPLM-IO, a movement whose political and military structures have historically been closely tied to his leadership.
For now, the competing claims of authority have left the opposition movement facing a fresh leadership crisis, with questions mounting over who ultimately has the mandate to speak and act on behalf of the SPLM-IO.
