Africa-Press – South-Sudan. South Sudan opposition commander turned SSPDF-ally, General Johnson Olony Thabo, has reportedly asked General Simon Gatwech Dual’s forces to vacate Magenis, resulting in an overnight withdrawal of General Gatwech’s forces, opposition politicians and military officials who are directly informed of the situation have said.
One opposition official who requested not to be named said that General Olony has arrested at least three opposition commander allied to Gen. Gatwech including one brigadier general after a directive from South Sudan presidency which has allegedly opted to implement the Khartoum peace agreement with the Agwelek faction and dumb Gen. Gatwech’s Kitgwang faction.
“This is to confirm that the news circulating on social media about the fighting between our forces and those of General Johnson Olony Thabo are not correct, but only there is truth to the fact that we have decided to tactically withdraw our forces from Magenis, the SPLM/SPLA (IO) Kitgwang headquarters on Friday night,” one opposition official allied to Gatwech said.
“We have information that Tutkew and General Akol Koor re the one behind this plan and the presidency under direct orders from Salva Kiir Mayardit. They have opted to implement the peace agreement that they signed separately with General Johnson Olony and this is now the reason why they threatened us to leave Magenis and go to any other area,” the official added.
Another opposition official who also requested not to be named confirmed the development and said that there forces are still on the outskirt of Magenis and are awaiting orders on what move to take next, saying they have not been defeated and that General Simon Gatwech Dual has a very huge force in northern Upper Nile state.
“We have not been dislodged. We moved out of Magenis to avoid civilian casualties, but we are still on the outskirts of Magenis. We have a very big force in Northern Upper Nile region and we just don’t want to fight with General Johnson Olony because he was one of our most-close comrades the other day, so we don’t just want war,” the official added.
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