General Gatwech Dual says Machar promoting military officers without consulting him

JUBA – The SPLA-IO chief of general staff General Simon Gatwech Dual has accused First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny of promoting military officers without consulting him as the group’s military chief.

General Gatwech who has not returned to Juba as part of the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement made the revelation during an interview with Radio Tamazuj on Friday.

In the interview published in Arabic by the Netherlands-based news organization, Dual also said Machar has committed an administrative mistake by replacing Olony; something he said has a great impact on the leadership of the SPLA-IO.

“This is an administrative mistake, and Dr. Riek is promoting new officers, without my knowledge as an army commander, and these are administrative problems that have a great impact on the leadership,” he said.

General Gatwech also said one of the mistakes Machar made was to allow himself being forced to replace General Johnson Thabo by President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

“Agwelek division led by Olony joined the SPLA-IO and the movement’s leader. Riek Machar is not responding to his (Olony) demands and everyone in the movement agreed that Olony would be the governor of Upper Nile State, but Juba refused and Dr. Riek also refused, and this is one of the administrative mistakes,” he said.

Asked why he hasn’t moved to Juba as part of the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement? General Gatwech Dual said he couldn’t go to Juba because the peace agreement is not being implemented.

“The agreement on security arrangements for troop training has not been implemented and several months have passed without the forces being graduated, and the army lacks food and medicine in the training camps, and there are ongoing plans for the forces to vacate the training centers,” he said.

“The permanent constitution, security arrangements, and the national parliament have not been implemented, and if the security agreement clause is implemented, I will go to Juba, but there is no peace agreement currently. What is happening in Juba is only a delay to the agreement,” he added.

The top opposition commander further said Machar who is the chairman of the SPLA-IO is still “imprisoned” in Juba and is unable to move, saying: “I am a military man and I know that Riek does not have any duties in Juba.”

“The people of South Sudan are waiting for peace, and let us make this peace,” he added.