Machar’s office ‘surprised’ over Odwar’s defection to Kitgwang faction

JUBA – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny has said that it is surprised on the decision by the group’s deputy chairman Henry Odwar to declare allegiance to the Kitgwang faction led by General Simon Gatwech Dual.

Yesterday, Odwar confirmed to Sudans Post that he has left Machar’s leadership and was joining the Kitgwang faction saying he has been questioning the way Machar has been running the movement accusing him of surrendered to become a partner to the regime of President Salva Kiir Mayardit hampering the implementation of the revitalized peace deal.

“This document in regards to me and those senior [members] of the [SPLM-IO] is true and authentic. I did talk about support to the SPLM-IO high-ranking officers in Kitgwang and Magenis and I also questioned very much the way Riek [Machar] has been running the movement,” he told Sudans Post on Thursday from Canada.

However, the Acting Press Secretary in the Office of the First Vice President and SPLM-IO Director of Information and Public relations Puok Both Baluang said Odwar has recently been in contact with Machar on his decision to resign from his position in the unity government as the minister of mining, but were surprised to learn of his decision to join the Kitgwang faction.

“Odwar was in contact with Machar about his resignation from the Ministry of Mining due to health reasons. But it came to our surprise that he joined the Kitgwang group that broke away from the SPLM-IO,” Baluang said, according to the Netherlands-based Radio Tamazuj.

Analysts quoted by the AFP say the bickering leaves Machar in an increasingly precarious position as he attempts to work alongside his former foe President Salva Kiir to implement a peace process which is already behind schedule.