Top army officer, troops abandon Kiir, Machar for ‘total regime change’ under Gatwech  

JUBA – A South Sudan army officer loyal to the main armed opposition SPLA-IO led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny has declared his intention alongside his troops to join the SPLA-IO Kitgwang faction led by General Simon Gatwech Dual for what he calls a ‘total regime change’.

Brig. Gen. Jany Chuol Wanjang who hails from Unity State said he crossed to Gatwech from Kiir and Machar’s camps with unknown number of soldiers from SSPDF and SPLA-IO and made the declaration in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Friday afternoon.

In a statement extended to Sudans Post, Brig. Gen. Alfred Gach Thot, the military spokesman of the SPLA-IO Kitgwang faction, said the troops left Machar and Kiir’s camps to join the struggle under General Simon Gatwech Dual in Khartoum.

“Brig. Gen. Jany Chuol Guek Wanjang and his officers/NCOs have declared their allegiance to the SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang Declaration under Chairman and Commander in Chief, 1^st Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual,” General Thot said in the statement on Friday afternoon.

“The officers and NCOs are mainly from the SPLM/A-IO of Dr. Riek Machar and South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) of President Salva Kiir’s and they hail from Unity State,” the senior opposition military officer added.

He said that the defecting military officers “have expressed their willingness to join hands with like-minded comrades in the SPLM/A-IO KD for total regime Change.”