Suspended Secretary-General Regina Joseph Kapa (Photo by courtesy)

JUBA — The leadership crisis within the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) led by suspended first vice president, Dr. Riek Machar has deepened after suspended Secretary-General Regina Joseph Kapa moved to suspend Acting Chairman and Commander-in-Chief Oyet Nathaniel Pierino.

The rival suspension orders have intensified an internal power struggle within the opposition movement and raised questions over who has the authority to make decisions and represent the SPLM-IO.

Oyet had earlier issued an order on August 31, 2026, suspending Kaba 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.

Oyet 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.

In response, Kaba, despite her suspension, issued a counter-order suspending Oyet, setting up a direct confrontation between two of the SPLM-IO’s senior leaders.

Kaba suspended Oyet and declared herself Acting Deputy Chairperson and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLA-IO.

The competing orders have created uncertainty over the movement’s chain of command, with both sides asserting authority while questioning the legitimacy of the other’s decisions.

The dispute comes at a difficult time for the opposition movement.

Since Machar’s detention last year, the SPLM-IO has operated under a complicated interim leadership arrangement, with Oyet assuming the roles of acting chairman and commander-in-chief.

The latest confrontation risks adding another layer of uncertainty to the movement’s already fragile internal structures.

Oyet’s order stated that the suspension is “without prejudice” to any separate disciplinary proceedings, investigations, or sanctions that may follow under the movement’s rules.

It also directs all SPLM-IO organs and members to uphold the authority of the Political Bureau and the principle of collective leadership.

The latest purge comes as Machar’s continued detention fuels growing rifts inside the SPLM-IO and raises increasingly difficult questions about authority within a movement that has long revolved around his leadership.

Machar was detained in Juba in March 2025 amid a worsening political and security crisis following fighting in Nasir County in Upper Nile State. With Machar unable to exercise day-to-day control over the organization, Oyet assumed leadership responsibilities in an acting capacity.