SPLM-IO denies appointment of General Duop Lam as replacement to General Gatwech

JUBA – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, SPLM-IO, led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny is yet to nominate another chief of general staff for the group’s forces following the removal in June of General Simon Gatwech Dual by Machar, an opposition spokesman says.

This comes after continued speculations on social media that Machar has appointed General Gabriel Duop Lam as the new chief of general staff for the SPLA-IO forces following the relief of General Simon Gatwech Dual who has since been defiant to the orders of the powerful opposition leader.

IN June, disagreements occurred between Machar and Gatwech over unilateral decision of the SPLA-IO military chief to remove the Director General of Military Intelligence of the SPLA-IO General Dhiling Keah Chuol. According to the SPLA-IO procedures, Machar is sole responsible authority to remove and appoint an intelligence chief for the group.

It remains unclear where General Gatwech brought his powers to remove the top military intelligence chief, despite having no clear authority to do so. However, the opposition commander has argued that General Dhiling Keah has been acting outside the line of the SPLA-Io military command.

Machar responded by firing him and appointing him as a presidential advisor for peace. But General Gatwech turned down the position claiming that the revitalized peace agreement does not provide for a position of peace advisor and said there was a set up to assassinate him by men he said are allied to Machar.

Speaking to Sudans Post in an interview on Sunday last week, acting press secretary in the office of the First Vice President and SPLM-IO director of information and public relations Puok Both Baluang denied the online speculations that General Gabriel Duop Lam had been appointed by Machar to replace General Gatwech Dual and said nothing of such deliberation has been made by the First Vice President.

“H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon has not assigned new chief of staff for the SPLA (IO) yet. It will be announced publicly once the decision is made,” he told Sudans Post from the capital Juba on phone. “You will be informed on the fate of the position in question in due course.”