Gatjiath was appointed in 2015 as the spokesman of the SPLA-IO by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, but decided to defect from the group last August following the infamous SPLA-IO Kitgwang declaration that resulted in the split of the SPLA-IO into two factions with the breakaway faction being led by General Gatwech.
But earlier this year, Gatjiath who was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general defected from the SPLA-IO Kitgwang under Gatwech and joint the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces accusing General Gatwech of lacking vision and objective to operate a movement.
Since then, the group remained without a military spokesman and in a statement on Friday, Gatwech appointed Col. Alfred Gach Thot as the military spokesman of the SPLA-IO Kitgwang faction effective April 15, 2022.
“Based on the structural document of the SPLM/A (IO), and reference to Kitgwang Declaration, I 1st Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, the Interim Chairman and Commander in Chief of the SPLM/A (IO) Kitgwang, do hereby appoint Col. Alfred Gach Thot as the as the military spokesperson of SPLA (IO) Kitgwang, with effect from 15th April 202,” he said in a statement extended to Sudans Post.