THEJUBAMIRROR
South Sudan’s main armed opposition commander General Simon Gatwech Dual has declared that he no longer take orders from First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny and will soon inform the public with changes with in the SPLM-IO, according to a statement by his office.
South Sudan’s main armed opposition commander General Simon Gatwech Dual has declared that he ceased taking orders from First Vice President and SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny and will soon inform the public about imminent changes with in the SPLM-IO, according to a statement by his office.
The latest announcement by General Gatwech who is a de facto SPLA-IO chief of staff comes days after Machar’s SPLM-IO in Juba said General Gabriel Duop Lam was the acting SPLA-IO chief of staff after he had removed General Gatwech from the position in June.
General Gatwech had then been appointed by President Salva Kiir Mayardit as a presidential envoy on peace upon the nomination of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny.
General Gatwech Dual had also rejected the appointment saying such a position does not exist in the revitalized peace agreement signed by Kiir and Machar in September 2018.
In a statement this evening, Brigadier General William Gatjiath Deng, the holdout SPLA-IO military spokesman, said the group in the bush has ceased taking orders from Machar’s SPLA-IO in Juba.
“Please be informed that, the SPLM/A (IO) leadership in liberated area is not any longer taking orders from the SPLA(IO) in government under the leadership of Dr Riek Machar Teny,” the statement extended to Sudans Post reads in part.
The strong-worded statement further said it will soon inform the opposition public about challenges facing the group in the bush and will also announce imminent changes to the public.
“…therefore the military leadership under the chief of General Staff First Lieutenant General, Simon Gatwech Dual will inform you soon about the current internal challenges facing the SPLM/A (IO),and would further advise the entire members to stop receiving fake news fabricated by the SPLA(IO) in government, whose aims is to deceive the entire members of SPLM/A(IO) and the population in frantic of implementing the progine peace agreement in the country,” the statement said.
“The SPLA(IO) military leadership would like to take this opportunity to inform you that First Lieutenant General, Simon Gatwech Dual, is still serving as the official Chief of General Staff (COGS) for SPLA(IO) forces,” it then added.
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