General Thomas Cirillo, the leader of the opposition National Salvation Front (NAS) dismissed top military figures, a move he designed to put him in full control of the forces after suspicious activities.
The new wave of expulsions were announced today just hours after Maj. Gen. Julius Tabuley, a top general in the movement, declared himself the interim NAS leader to replace Thomas Cirillo.
“The leadership of the National Salvation Front (NAS) has followed closely the clandestine and subversive activities of Maj. Gen. Julius Tabuley, Dr. Gasim Barnaba Kisanga, Gen. Khalid Butrous, Maj. Gen. Ali Kur, Brig. Nathaniel Chol Gai, and Brig. Gen. Michael Aywen. Over the past one month, we have confirmed that the activities and ill intentions of these officers are inconsistent with the aspirations of our people and vision of NAS,” partly reads Cirillo’s statement.
The opposition leader said the six military officials have been removed from their posts and expelled from the movement with immediate effort for allegedly undertaking dubious activities with third parties in order to sabotage the search for just and viable peace in South Sudan.
He pointed out that these activities by the six opposition officials were undertaken in the course of the peace talks in Khartoum.
NAS leader reassured his supporters that the departure of the top military generals will not affect the movement.
It was not immediately clear whether the dismissal generals have influence on rebel forces on the ground.