By Yiep Joseph
Internal Security Bureau of the National Security Service (NSS) claimed on Friday that over 2,000 forces from the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) had defected to South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF).
During a press conference at the NSS headquarters, David John Kumuri, the NSS Director for Public Relations, stated that the group changed allegiance to the government army, the SSPDF, and had vowed to ensure peace and stability.
Kumuri added that the NSS welcomed the SSOA forces who had defected to the SSPDF command, noting that they would be integrated.
“The forces comprise more than seven commanders and over two thousand active personnel under the command of Brigadier General Ibrahim Samir David, the Commander of SSOA Forces in the Greater Equatoria region,” Kumuri asserted.
However, efforts to reach the South Sudan Opposition Alliance and the army department for comment were unsuccessful.
Kumuri further explained that the forces were part of the Transitional Peace Agreement and had been trained and graduated from various military training centers, including Logologo, Rajab, Owinykibul, Muni, Gutmakur, and Maridi.
According to Brigadier General Ibrahim Samir David, the group had declared its complete disengagement from the SSOA and all its affiliated organizations.
Kumuri stated that the group had disengaged from the SSOA and renounced all duties previously assigned to them in line with military and security mechanisms on behalf of the SSOA.
He added that they were now members of the SSPDF and other organized forces under the President of the Republic of South Sudan.
Spokesperson Kumuri welcomed the group, assuring them that their safety and security were guaranteed, as well as the swift integration of their forces into the National Army.
Earlier this month, approximately 300 soldiers, including eight commanders, from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO), led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, defected to the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF).
The soldiers, who had been trained at military camps in Rajab and Lalogo, were under the command of Brigadier General Bol, the SPLM-IO’s former mobilization and organization leader.
Speaking to journalists in Juba, Brigadier General Gabriel Bol Anuer stated that their decision was driven by a duty to uphold South Sudan’s unity and security.
He criticized the SPLM-IO’s internal dysfunction, noting that it had deviated from its original vision.
“This decision reflects our commitment to peace and unity in South Sudan,” he declared. “I pledge my loyalty, and that of over 500 forces under my command, to President Salva Kiir Mayardit.”
Brigadier General Compeo Andrea Matia accused the SPLM-IO leadership of persistent tribalism, nepotism, and a lack of clear direction as key reasons for their decision.
“We can no longer tolerate leadership that prioritizes personal gains over the welfare of soldiers and citizens,” he stated.
Kumuri reaffirmed the government’s commitment to integrating all armed forces under a single national military structure, emphasizing that no country can function with two separate armies.
However, Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel, the Spokesperson of the SPLA-IO, claimed that there was no such massive defection within their ranks.