Gen. Gatwech appoints Odwar as head of SPLM-IO political wing

JUBA — The leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) Kitgwang faction and former SPLA-IO chief of staff General Simon Gatwech Dual has appointed deputy SPLM-IO chairman Henry Odwar as the head of the group’s Political Bureau or its political wing.

Odwar is a prominent South Sudanese politician who was until August 11, 2021 the country’s minister of mining in ten revitalized unity government on the ticket of the SPLM-IO and deputy chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar.

He resigned from the R-TGONU and then declared his support for the Kitgwang faction which emerged on August 4, following the ouster of Machar by General Gatwech at Kitgwang, Magenis, after a three-day gathering of top opposition commanders.

In an order extended to Sudans Post, General Simon Gatwech Dual appointed Odwar as head of the group’s political wing and ordered all members of the Political Bureau to report themselves with immediate effect to the new head of Political Bureau until completion of the organization of the holdout SPLM-IO faction.

“The SPLA(IO) Supreme Military Council after the Kit-Gwang declaration, I interim Chairman and Commander in Chief (C-in-C) General Simon Gatwech Dual, based on the powers vested upon me by the SPLA (10) Military Supreme Council appoints Hon. Henry Odwar as the head of the Council of the Political Bureau (CPB),” General Gatwech said.

“All former Political Bureau (PB) and the National Liberation Council (NLC) members to report themselves to the new SPLM-(I0) Head of the Council of Political Bureau (CPB) untill political reorganization within the movement is completed,” he added.

Other prominent members of the SPLM-IO including son of SPLM/SPLA founder, Mabior Garang De Mabior, have also declared their intention to support the holdout opposition group that is demanding the full implementation of the security arrangements provided for in the revitalized peace agreement.