SPLM-IO wrangle: 12 senior members join Gen. Gatwech

JUBA – At least 12 members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) have declared their intention to join the SPLA-IO faction under General Simon Gatwech Dual, according to a statement extended to Sudans Post.

The group led by Gach Pal, an assistant to the SPLM Secretary General, said Machar “Has betrayed the national interest by compromising key provisions of the 2018 Revitalized peace agreement, particularly the Security arrangements, and by ingeniously surrendering SPLM-IO to the SPLM-IG without championing the desired cause of the struggle.”

Below is their full-text statement.

ENDORSEMENT OF AUGUST 4, 2021 KITGWANG DECLARATION By SPLM-IO MEMBERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM ON 19 SEPTEMBER 2021 IN LONDON, ENGLAND UNITED KINGDOM

We, the undersigned members of SPLM-IO in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 19 September 2021, held a virtual meeting in which we resolved to announce our firm endorsement of the historic Kit-Gwang Declaration of August 4, 2021, under the leadership of 1st Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, being the legitimate Interim Chairman of SPLM-IO and Interim Commander-in-chief of SPLA-IO.

The members resolved to endorse the Kit-Gwang Declaration due to the following reasons:

1. The former leadership of SPLM-IO (under Dr Riek Machar):
   • Has betrayed the national interest by compromising key provisions of the 2018 Revitalised peace agreement, particularly the Security arrangements, and by ingeniously surrendering SPLM-IO to the SPM-IG without championing the desired cause of the struggle.
   • Has been founded on dictatorial and autocratic tendencies, employing fake democracy to suppress democratic voices of SPLMIO members as well as purging senior political and military leaders from the SPLMIO since 2015.
   • Has been practising a nepotistic style of leadership in blatant acquisition of personal or family wealth. This form of nepotism has effectively rendered SPLM-IO a family-run business entity, evidenced by the appointment of family members into key portfolios in the government and public service.
   • Having assumed the office of the 1^st Vice President considers less important everything else including desirable reforms and security arrangement and thus becomes less vocal about them. Disappointingly, those leaders of SPLM-IO/SPLA-IO (for instance, General Gatwech Dual and Gen Johnson Olony, among others) who have continued to champion the implementation of these key provisions have unreasonably been targeted, threatened, or face being purged by the leadership attempting to remove them.

2. Kit-Gwang Declaration of 4th August 2021:
   • Revives the hope for a sense of lasting peace, prosperity and freedom as demanded by the forgotten masses of South Sudan.
   • Affirms its quest for lasting peace via full implementation of the Re-vitalised peace agreement.
   • Upholds the people’s demand for good governance and prosperity.
   • Serves as the voice of the voiceless longing for socio-economic change in the country
   • Has the only legitimate leadership of SPLM-IO, in the persons of 1st Lt. Gen Simon Gatwech Dual and Gen. Johnson Olony Thabo, who have all along been fighting for a nationally valid cause.

Owing to the above reasons, we, the twelve members of SPLM-IO as named hereunder, do hereby today, 19^th September 2021, announce our endorsement of and our allegiance to the Kit-Gwang Declaration under the interim leadership of 1^st Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual and Lt. Gen. Johnson Olony Thabo.

Signed:

Deng Gach Pal

Assistant to General Secretary of SPLM-IO

Secretary for Political Bureau and National Liberation Council, SPLM-IO,

F/Secretary-General of Upper Nile State government

F/Member of SPLM Congress (Upper Nile State)

Contacts:

M: +44 7753287959

E: ddgpal@gmail.com

The Kit-Gwang endorsing members

1. Deng Gach Pal
2. Gabriel Guol Lam
3. Yahana Tabo
4. Jacob Yik Dhuor
5. Tut Dugak Lieth
6. Majiok Hoth Lual
7. David Puok Ghoc
8. Duoth Riek Waar
9. Stephen Kah Liep
10. Bup gatluak Monykuang
11. John Nguany Gai
12. Simon Gatdet Tuach