Garang’s son says ‘dark forces’ trying to use Gatwech, Olony to return country to war

JUBA – South Sudan opposition politician and chairperson of the non-political organization, National Conservation South Sudan (NCSS), Mabior Garang De Mabior, has accused unnamed forces of trying to use the SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang faction led by former Chief of staff, General Simon Gatwech and General Johnson Olony Thabo to return the world’s youngest country to civil war.

Speaking to journalists at Juba international airport shortly before takeoff for Nairobi, Kenya, his morning, the son of the SPLM/SPLA founder Dr. John Garang De Mabior said unscrupulous dark forces are trying to return the country to war.

“We came into this because there are unscrupulous dark forces in the country who are trying to use the Kitgwang Declaration to return the country to war,” Mabior told reporters on Wednesday in Juba.

He said Kitgwang is a village in Upper Nile state and not a political organization that can be used to achieve political agenda.

“You know Kit-Gwang is a village in Upper Nile. It is not an organization. The organization is the SPLM/A-IO and I was formally a member of the SPLM/A-IO. The manner in which the SPLM/A-IO came to Juba caused the split. There was silence split in the SPLM-IO that was moving until the Kitgwang declaration now made this split public,” he said.

On August 4, a group of opposition commander led by General Simon Gatwech Dual, General Johnson Olony and General Thomas Mabor Dhol attempted to remove First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny as Chairman and Commander in Chief of the main armed opposition SPLM/SPLA (IO) resulting in the formation of what is now SPLM-IO Kitgwang faction.

Mabior said National Conversation South Sudan which he said joined the SPLM-IO as an organization decided to welcome the decision of the military commanders because they are members of the political bureau of the main armed opposition group who are aware of the political situation within the group.

“The Kitgwang declaration deposed Dr. Riek Machar, Political Bureau, and National Liberation Council. We as the board of trustees members of National Conversation South Sudan then decided to issue a statement supporting the principle of that declaration meaning that we have supported our deposition because we were members of the political bureau of the SPLM-IO,” he said.

He said his visit to Juba was to help the country’s leadership to achieve lasting peace.

“We are trying to play the role of peacemakers. We are trying to make the former generals understand that they are also signatories to the agreement and there is no new organization called Kitgwang has been formed,” he said.

“We have proven that we can come to Juba, we are not afraid to come to Juba, and we are not afraid to be arrested in Juba. We are not like others who came for three days and ended staying for three years. We can say what we need to say,” he added.

“I have not made any political declaration to join the SPLM but as National Conversation of South Sudan, we are willing to work with leaders of the SPLM in how to find peace and we are also willing to work with leaders of the SPLM-IO, National Democratic Movement and any political party in our search for peace,” he concluded.