Call For Restraint Within the SPLA-IO

Major General John Sunday Martin (Photo: Supplied)

(Pachodo.org) - The military confrontation among members of the Revolutionary Army (SPLA-IO) in Payume, at a time when we were until late last night doing our utmost to prevent such incidents from occurring, is most unfortunate. It exposes serious weaknesses within our political and military structures.

It also reveals the dangers that arise when individuals place personal interests, positions, ambitions, and conflicts above the collective objectives of the revolutionary movement and the aspirations of our people.

What happened represents an attempt to undermine, compromise, or abandon the principles of the revolutionary agenda, thereby weakening the movement and undermining the cause of the revolution and its army.

I therefore call upon our brave commanders involved in this incident to call off any plans to attack one another and embrace the spirit of reconciliation, in respect to our one and only Chairman and Commander-in-Chief, Dr. Riek Machar, who remains in detention.

Whether you are aligned with Nathaniel Oyet or Regina Kappa, the central point amid the confusion created by the regime in Juba is that both sides recognize Dr. Riek Machar as the legitimate leader and claims to remain committed to advancing the revolutionary agenda.

I call upon the leadership of Nathaniel Oyet and Regina Kappa in this particular moment to intervene urgently and do everything within their power to prevent this situation from escalating further.

I also wish to argue for us, the Revolutionary Army, to not allow political disagreements to turn us against one another. We should not allow ourselves to be used to fighting and dying in political battles whose objectives never serve the interests of either the Nation, or the revolutionary movement (SPLM-IO).

Our strength lies in our unity. Let us put aside personal differences, reject violence among ourselves, and preserve the unity and integrity of the revolutionary Army ( SPLA-IO).

The political struggle among our leaders should not become a reason for us, as members of the military, to turn our weapons against ourselves.

*Major General John Sunday Martin*
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_(Thursday , 17th September 2026)_