Dr. Riek Machar - Courtesy

Dr. Riek Machar and seven other armed opposition leaders have ceased to be Commanders-in-Chief from the day parties unified the command structure, a political analyst has said.

This week on Tuesday, President Salva Kiir unified the command structure of the organized forces.

According to Dr. James Okuk, Article 2.4.1 of R-ARCSS stated that any C-in-C from the opposition shall cease to be legitimate at the end of the pre-transitional period and until the end of the unification of the forces.

However, he says as the military and organized forces are hierarchical, once the command is unified that is it and the rest falls in line.

Dr. Okuk also pointed out, article 1.6.2.3 of R-ARCSS on powers of the President and article 1.7.3.1 on powers of the First Vice President (FVP) on being C-in-C are very specific and straightforward.

He told Eye Radio that there is only one C-in-C after the pre-transitional period and unification of forces and he is President Salva Kiir as long as he is still in power.

The political analyst says the First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar can only act as C-in-C in the event of the absence of President Kiir from the country.

Dr. Okuk who spoke to Eye Radio on Friday says the unification of the Command Structure of the Army marks the end of so many Commanders in Chief of the Army in the Country.

“This is where the unification has taken place and that is the end of so many commanders in Chief of the army. It is the beginning of the one commander in chief,” Dr. Okuk told Eye Radio on Friday.

“It is now the responsibility of one commander in chief who is the President of the Republic and those who are being assigned to the high military rank now to see to it that the logistics and other arrangements for the graduation of the forces is completed.

“This shouldn’t be a worry as long as there is one commander in Chief and others are under him and then they have to go ahead and do the normal process of military activities. It is the duty now that the agreement has mandated them to graduate these forces.

“The fact that the command has been unified, automatically it means the forces have also been unified because these forces are forces of those commanders.”

This week on Thursday, President Salva, in his Capacity as the Commander- In- Chief of the Unified South Sudan National Army and the Supreme Commander of all Other Organized Forces, presided over the Oath of Allegiance of Officers.

They include the Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director-Generals (DGs) of the National Security Service and the National Wildlife Service, the Commissioner of Civil Defense Forces, and their respective Deputies in the National Army and all the Other Organized Forces.

The revitalized peace agreement has allowed peace parties to maintain 9 Commanders in Chief until the end of the pre-transitional period.

The 8 armed opposition leaders who ceased to be commanders in chief include;

1. First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar – Commander in Chief of Sudan People Liberation Movement /Army – In Opposition [SPLM/A-IO]
2. Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Ayii – Commander in Chief of South Sudan Patriotic Movement [SSPM]
3. The governor of Jonglei state, Denay Chagor –  Commander in Chief of South Sudan United Movement [SSUM]
4. The Minister of Higher Education, Gabriel Changson Chang – Commander in Chief of Federal Democratic Party/Forces [FDP/F]
5. Lt. Gen. Bapiny Monytuil –  Commander in Chief of South Sudan Liberation Movement [SSLM]
6. Dr. Lam Akol – Commander in Chief of National Democratic Movement [NDM]
7. The Minister of Local Government in Central Equatoria state, Isaac Moro –  Commander in Chief of South Sudan National Movement for Change [SSNMC]
8. General Intelligence Bureau Deputy-Director, Lt. Gen. Khalid Botrous Bora – Commander in Chief of National Salvation Front for Peace [NAS]

President Salva Kiir poses in a group photo with FVP Dr. Riek Machar, VP Hussein Abdelbagi, Presidential Affairs on Security Tut Gatluak and Gen. Obote Mamur, the Minister of National Security together with Unified National Security Service Command – Credit | Office of the President | April 14, 2022

President Salva Kiir poses in a group photo with FVP Dr. Riek Machar, VP Hussein Abdelbagi and Presidential Affairs on Security Tut Gatluak together with Unified Prison and Civil Defense Service Command – Credit | Office of the President | April 14, 2022