Former Petroleum Minister Dak Duop Bichiok resigned from the opposition SPLM-IO on Thursday, linking his political future to President Salva Kiir, who leads the SPLM party.

Dak was a leading member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by Dr. Riek Machar, who is now the country’s first vice president.

Dak is the first prominent opposition politician to abandon Machar’s SPLM-IO after the formation of the transitional government. He defected together with several members of the party.  

Speaking at a press conference in Juba, the defectors announced that they had resigned from the SPLM-IO party, and that they would join President Salva Kiir.

The group accused Machar of single-handedly managing the SPLM-IO party without consulting senior members.

"We rebelled seven years ago to change something in the system, but the SPLM-IO is being mismanaged," Dak said.

Mr Dak's departure from the SPLM-IO came only one month after SPLA-IO deputy chief of staff James Koang ended his ties with the movement he had been with for seven years.

SPLM-IO officials could not immediately be reached to comment on Dak's defection.