Odwar asks Gatwech to replace Olony as group publicizes minutes of high-level meeting

JUBA – South Sudan opposition politicians allied to Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, the leader of the breakaway SPLA-IO Kitgwang faction, have resolved to replace General Johnson Olony Thabo as deputy chairman of the group and asked Gatwech to execute the decision, weeks after Olony’s allies said Gatwech had been removed.

This comes after a three-day high-level gathering of top SPLA-IO Kitgwang commanders under Gatwech, and politicians led by Odwar who resigned from the Machar-led faction in June last year to protest lack of will to implement the revitalized peace agreement.

In a communiqué, Gatwech is requested by the political and military leaders of Kitgwang requested “the interim chairman and commander in chief of SPLM/A 10 Kitgwang to appoint four officials: The deputy interim chairman and the heads of three committees namely, [head of] Foreign Affairs, [head of] Humanitarian, Relief and Rehabilitation and [head of] Mobilization, Publicity and Public Relations.”

They accused the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit of having dishonored the January 2022 peace agreement which provided for the integration of Gatwech’s forces into South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) within a period of three months.

“The SPLM- IG has renegaded on a call for justice, reconciliation, and unhindered and holistic implementation of Khartoum peace agreement signed between the SPLM/A IO Kitgwang and SPLM-IG on 16 January 2022,” the communiqué reads in part.

The communiqué further endorsed the “formation of high level committee comprised of political and military leaders to review and amend the four (4) basic documents of SPLM/A (IO)” and confirmed “the compatibility and mutual working relations between the army and political leaders to achieve our goals of freedom, equality and justice for all persons in South Sudan.”

While recommitting themselves to “liberation, justice and freedom for all the beloved people of South Sudan,” the holdout opposition leaders welcomed back “all SPLM/A IO cadres and officers deliberately taken to Juba by former chairman and commander in chief Dr. Riek Machar before implementation of a proper security arrangement.”