Kiir sacks Gen. Gatwech as presidential advisor, names replacement

JUBA – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit has dismissed General Simon Gatwech Dual, the controversial opposition commander who attempted to remove First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny as leader of the SPLM-IO in August last year, as presidential advisor on peace.

Kiir had appointed Gen. Gatwech into the position in June 2021 on the ticket of the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) under Machar, but the controversial opposition commander who is under EU sanctions turned down the appointment.

Gatwech days later attempted to remove Machar –  during a meeting in Magenis, a northern-most town in northern Upper Nile state – as the chairman and commander in chief of the opposition group leading to opposition infighting and the eventual merger into the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF).

In a presidential decree read out on the state-own South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), Kiir dismissed General Simon Gatwech from the position. This is after a notification from Machar who had nominated another official to replace General Gatwech.

In a separate decree, Kiir appointed opposition Lt. Gen. David Reath Malual as the new presidential advisor for peace replacing General Simon Gatwech Dual effective Monday.

Reports had emerged last month after an opposition official allied to General Simon Gatwech told Sudans Post that Kiir had asked the controversial opposition commander to accept the position, but Kiir came under pressure from Machar for attempting to give away an opposition position to General Gatwech.

Officials close to Gatwech also said the leader of the breakaway SPLA-IO Kitgwang faction had rejected the appeal of President Kiir and asked him as to if ‘he is committed’ to the implementation of the Khartoum peace agreement which he signed in January.