PHOTO: Spiritual leader Makuach Tut with his fighters in Ayod County in Jonglei State - Courtesy

AYOD, Jonglei State (Eye Radio)  — Jonglei spiritual leader, Makuach Tut, has set a high-stakes condition to halt his movement toward Malakal with armed youth, according to the Commissioner of Ayod County.

Commissioner James Chuol of Ayod confirmed to Eye Radio Saturday, September 6, that he has sent three separate delegations to meet with spiritual leader Makuach Tut and persuade him to abandon his plans, but all appeals have been rejected.

According to Commissioner Chuol, the spiritual leader is demanding the release of the leader of SPLM-IO, Dr. Riek Machar and Gen Duop Lam.

“He said Dr. Riek Machar and Doup Lam should be brought to him, and then from there, he can listen to the calls of people,” Chuol stated.

“Riek was arrested by the government based on his mistake; nobody has the power to release those two. They did wrong to the government. So that is his condition: if these people are not being brought to him, he cannot stop going.”

Chuol reported that the spiritual leader and his forces left Magog and are continuing their advance toward Pigi County.

The Commissioner’s report comes after Upper Nile Governor James Koang Chuol warned that spiritual leader Makuach Tut was planning to cross the Sobat River from Jonglei to Upper Nile through Pigi County.

“He [Makuach] is now mobilizing forces to attack Pigi, and then he will cross the Nile to the eastern mainland to attack Malakal. This is his plan that he wants to implement,” Gen Koang stated.

“We appeal to the brothers in Jonglei that they must talk to him, because always and forever, the insecurity and instability in Upper Nile State comes from northern Jonglei.”

Early, Ter Manyang Gatwech, Executive Director of the Centre for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), urged the government to intervene and initiate dialogue with spiritual leader Makuach Tut.

Gatwech said he had received credible reports that Makuach was mobilizing armed youth and planning to launch attacks.

The Spiritual leader is an influential spiritual leader among his community in Jonglei State, who was previously accused of leading an armed group to attack parts of Upper Nile State in 2022.