![]() | This article needs to be updated.(July 2019) |
Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition | |
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Abbreviation | SPLM-IO |
Leader | Riek Machar |
Chief of General Staffs | Simon Gatwech Dual |
Secretary-general | Tingo Peter Regbigo[1] |
Founded | 15 December 2013 |
Split from | Sudan People's Liberation Movement |
Headquarters | Pagak (until 2017) Juba (2019–)[2] |
Ideology | |
Political position | Centre-left[3][better source needed] |
Colours | Green[4] |
National Legislative Assembly | 128 / 550
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Council of States | 27 / 100
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Website | |
https://twitter.com/SPLMIO_Viva | |
The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (abbreviated SPLM-IO), also known as the anti-governmental forces (AGF), is a mainly South Sudanese political party and rebel group that split from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in 2013, due to political tensions between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar over leadership of the SPLM. Tensions grew between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar and South Sudan plunged into the South Sudanese Civil War.[5]
The party and militia are led by Riek Machar.[6][7] Machar also appointed General Simon Gatwech Dual as Army Chief of General Staff, deputized by the Deputy Chief of General Staffs for operations, training, political and moral orientation, logistics, administration and finance.[8] But in June 2021, Machar removed General Gatwech Dual from the position and appointed him into the Presidency as an adviser. [9] Gatwech however, rejected the new role and fired Machar as leader of the SPLM/A-IO and declared himself interim leader which led to fighting between Machar allies and those loyal to Gen. Gatwech formerly known as the Kit-Gwang faction throughout 2021.[10]