SPLM-IO: Release Detainees Before Talks

(JUBA) – South Sudan Opposition Rejects President’s Peace Dialogue Without Release of Detained Leaders

South Sudan’s main opposition party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM-IO), has rejected a recent call by President Salva Kiir for renewed dialogue, saying meaningful talks cannot begin until its political and military members held in detention are released.

President Kiir made the appeal on Wednesday during the reopening of the National Parliament, warning of the risk of renewed conflict if peace efforts remain stalled. He urged unity and reconciliation among political actors and insisted that “the doors of peace remain open.”

However, in a direct response on Thursday, SPLM-IO spokesperson Pal Mai Deng said the president’s proposal lacked credibility.

“President Kiir must release political and military leaders of the SPLM-IO who are in detention to show his seriousness about the dialogue,” he said.

The political atmosphere remains tense following the house arrest of First Vice President Riek Machar, who is also the SPLM-IO leader. His confinement followed a March attack on army bases that was blamed on opposition forces. Since then, several SPLM-IO officials have fled into exile, citing fears of arrest and targeting.

The 2018 peace agreement, which ended five years of civil war that claimed nearly 400,000 lives, is now under severe strain. That conflict pitted forces loyal to President Kiir against those allied with Machar. While the agreement led to the formation of a transitional unity government, its implementation has been slow and uneven, with trust between the parties deteriorating in recent months.

Speaking from exile, Deng accused the government of insincerity. “Before urging the parties to resume dialogue, President Kiir needed to halt military campaigns against SPLM-IO forces and stop the indiscriminate killing of Nuer civilians considered anti-government,” he said.

The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), a prominent civil society group in Juba, has echoed concerns that Machar’s absence has significantly disrupted governance.

“The absence of Machar in the daily function of the government is making the transitional government unbalanced,” said CEPO’s Executive Director Edmund Yakani.

International observers have also raised alarm. Last month, the United Nations warned that the 2018 peace agreement was at risk of collapse. Yasmin Sooka, chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, described the current situation as a “crisis” and said the agreement was on the “brink of irrelevance,” driven by rising violence, repression, and foreign military involvement.

While President Kiir continues to appeal for dialogue, opposition leaders and rights groups argue that conditions on the ground must first change to make such talks viable. Hopes of restarting negotiations remain fragile as political detentions and targeted attacks persist.

Political Deadlock Summary