Detained First Vice President and SPLM/A-IO leader Dr Riek Machar Teny. Courtesy photo.

The SPLM/A-IO under detained First Vice President Dr Riek Machar has distanced itself from the newly registered IO Party, saying the party is not affiliated with the movement.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the party’s Political Bureau said the registration of the IO Party under Stephen Par Kuol has “nothing to do with SPLM/SPLA (IO).”

The response follows an announcement by the Political Parties Council on June 30 that the IO Party had been officially registered.

The Political Bureau said SPLM/SPLA (IO) remains a military-political movement and cannot register as a political party until the unification of forces under the Revitalized Peace Agreement is completed.

It added that Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon remains the Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of SPLM/SPLA (IO) under the peace agreement.

The statement said the movement will register as a political party only after completing the unification of forces and holding its National Convention.

The Political Bureau also said Stephen Par Kuol was free to register his own party because he does not command any armed forces.

It added that by registering the IO Party, Stephen Par and his colleagues had effectively defected from SPLM/A-IO and no longer represent the movement.