Olony’s group denies attacking Tonja, accuses SPLA-IO and NDM of fighting over taxes

JUBA, OCTOBER 25, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – The SPLM-IO Kitgwang Agwelek faction on Tuesday dismissed as “wild allegations” reports that its forces last week attacked Tonja town of Panyikang County of Upper Nile state and accused the SPLA-IO and NDM of infighting over taxes.

In statements quoted by Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Panyikang County Commissioner Mustafa Gai said forces belonging to General Johnson Olony Thabo attacked Tonja and clashed with the forces of the main armed opposition SPLA-IO under First Vice President Riek Machar.

But in a statement extended to Sudans Post, Olony’s group denied any involvement in the fighting and distanced itself from two military officers the commissioner said were the commanding officers of the forces who attacked the area.

“The SPLMA-IO Kit-Gwang under the leadership of General Johnson Olony Thubo strongly condemns the baseless accusations by the Commissioner of Panyikang County of attacking the town of Tonga. These wild allegations were also repeated by the Commissioner of Fangak County,” the statement added.

“Our forces have neither left their bases nor they attacked the town of Tonga. Since the tripartite assault on our forces by the forces of SPLM/A-IO, the NDM and the forces of Simon Gatwech in August 2022, Tonga and its surroundings have been under their control,” it added.

Instead, the statement accused the forces of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) and National Democratic Movement (NDM) led by Lam Akol of attacking and injuring members of a peace delegation from Ruweng Administrative Area and seizing their vehicles.

“Together, these forces carried out the attack that killed and injured many in the peace convey from the neighboring Ruweng, including the Administrative Area’s peace advisor, in Wic Panyikang and seized their vehicles,” the statement added.

The statement further said that the forces of the SPLA-IO and NDM disagreed over division of money it said are collected illegally as taxes from local traders in Panyikang County which it said resulted in the reported fighting.

“They shared the County’s resources collectively from the proceeds of their illegal checkpoints along the Nile River to other levies and taxes imposed on the herders from the Sudan. However, there has been a growing disagreement between all these groups, particularly within the SPLM/A-IO, concerning the division of the County’s resources,” it said.

“This disagreement has manifested itself in the Sunday night attacked on Tonga by a dissatisfied group of the SPLM/A-IO in the town. As such, the SPLM/A-IO Kit-Gwang would like to distance itself from the recent clashes in Tonga,” it added.