Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The First Vice President and leader of the SPLM-IO party, Dr Riek Machar Teny has conceded and welcomed the surprising joining of forces by his partner-in-peace the SPLM-IG and SPLM-IO breakaway Kitgwang faction led by General Simon Gatwech Dual who signed a peace deal in Khartoum on Sunday.
The agreement gives amnesty to members of the Kitgwang faction who broke away from the Machar led main opposition group, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) in August. The two factions, after split engaged in deadly clashes in Magenis/Kitgwang, Upper Nile State.
The deal also signed by Kitgwang interim leader Gen. Simon Gatwech Daul and his Deputy Gen. Johnson Olony Thubo on behalf of the group and General Akol Koor Kuc and Presidential Security Advisor, Tut Gatluak Manime respectively, on behalf of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Government (SPLM-IG), also provide for respect ceasefire and integrate of Kitgwang forces into South Sudan People’s Defense force (SSPDF).
It further gives allocation of political positions to General Olony’s Agwelek forces pending further negotiation. In an interview with Juba Monitor yesterday, the Press Secretary in the Office of the First Vice President and Director of Information and Public Relations Committee of the SPLM-IO Puok Both Baluang said they welcomed the peace agreement reached between Kitgwang and SPLM-IG as long as it stops the fighting and insecurity in the country.
He accused the SPLM-IG of orchestrating the defection of the Kitgwang group from SPLM-IO and said the agreement will only bring more confusion and division among parties.
Mr. Baluang stated that since Kit-gwang had now joined the SPLM-IG camp and urged them to recommit themselves to peace adding that any attack by the group on SPLM-IO forces is a red line and a gross violation of the revitalized peace agreement.
“We welcome this agreement as long as it stops the fighting in that area and also it proved us right as SPLM-IO when we say that this group’s defection was engineered by SPLM-IG and security organs in Juba,” Baluang said.
“From now on they [Kit-gwang factions] have found the integration into SSPDF and join the SPLM-IG, so, any attack on our forces it will be a violation to the cessation of hostilities and the agreement R-ARCESS in general because now they are part and parcel of SPLM-IG,” he warned.
He also said that the defection of Kit-gwang splinter would not have implications on the Revitalized peace Agreement of the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan.
“This defection has no any significant effect on the agreement because they [Kit gwang] are part of SPLM-IG now and as SPLM-IO, we maintain our commitment to implement the peace agreement and also urge the parties to expedite and implement the rest of the chapters of the agreement,” he recommitted.
The Kitgwang Declaration was a coup attempt by South Sudanese rebel commander Simon Gatwech Dual on August 4, 2021, in which he replaced First Vice President Riek Machar as leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition leading to deadly rebel infighting. The faction was later joined by Gen. Johnson Olony among other senior politicians at SPLM-IO.
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