Gen. Gatwech denies handing over power to Odwar

JUBA — South Sudan’s main armed opposition commander General Simon Gatwech Dual who doubles as the chairman and commander in chief of the breakaway SPLM/SPLA (IO) Kitgwang faction has denied that he has handed over power to his head of political wing Hendry Odwar.

Odwar arrived in the Sudanese capital Khartoum this week from Canada where he has been living, ahead of a high-level political meeting ordered by Gatwech to discuss objectives of the movement and how to proceed with the January 2022 agreement they signed with President Salva Kiir.

Since his arrival in Khartoum, rumors have been circulating on social media alleging that Gen. Gatwech had handed over power to Odwar and returned to his position as chief of staff which he held while under First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar between 2014 and 2021.

Speaking to Sudans Post this evening, Col. Alfred Gach Thot, the military spokesman of the Kitgwang faction, said the social media rumors are untrue and accused elements from the SPLM-IO under Machar of spreading false information about his boss.

“This is not true and in fact, the one behind those wild propaganda are those followers of Riek [Machar] and I don’t know what they would get out of lying to the public especially about a power handover which should be known to every in case it really happened,” he said from the Sudanese capital Khartoum.

The senior opposition officer further said that plans are under way for organization of the public consultation saying the military under Gatwech will first meet the politicians under Odwar to discuss agenda of the meeting which he said is taking place in the next few days.