SPLM-IO Kitgwang advance team arrives in Juba after peace deal

JUBA – A delegation from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) Kitgwang faction, led by Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, arrived in Juba on Wednesday just two days after signing a peace agreement with the South Sudan government in Port Sudan.

The delegation, headed by Gatluak Kuany Wour, said they were in Juba to begin implementing the agreement signed on February 2nd. Wour conveyed a message from Gen. Gatwech expressing his commitment to the peace terms.

“A message from our chairman (Gen. Gatwech) to the people of South Sudan is that he’s committed to the term of this peace, and that is why he sent us here to ensure or contribute to the implementation process or operationalization of the terms which were agreed on,” Wour said during a press conference at Juba Airport.

Wour emphasized the group’s belief that the agreement’s full implementation would address the needs of the South Sudanese people and help restore social cohesion. He clarified that Gen. Gatwech’s previous absence from Juba alongside Dr. Riek Machar was due to concerns about the implementation of security arrangements in the 2018 peace deal.

He claimed that since defecting from the SPLA-IO (allied to Machar), Gatwech’s forces had not attacked government troops or civilians in Nassir. Wour denied any involvement of Kitgwang forces in civilian suffering in Upper Nile, suggesting other armed groups were responsible.

Kitgwang spokesperson Justice Musa Gatluak thanked President Salva Kiir for entrusting the National Security Service (NSS) with the peace process.

“Simon Gatwech is sending a clear message to the people of South Sudan and the whole region that the time has come for us to work together and bring peace to our country, so that the tired citizens can return to their region and live in peace,” Musa said.

He added that Gatwech recognized the suffering of citizens and chose peace to restore stability to South Sudan.

“Our presence tonight represents proof of our good intentions and commitment to the signed agreement. We have come as a leading delegation to start the implementation of this agreement,” he echoed.

David John Kumuri, Director of Public Relations in the NSS internal bureau, confirmed the advance team’s arrival was a result of President Kiir’s amnesty.

“As the mandate of the National Security Service, the ISB Security Bureau under General Akech Tong Aleu undertook lead negotiation that has resulted in the current arrival of the advance team that you witnessed,” Kumuri explained.

He added that arrangements were being made for Gen. Gatwech’s arrival in Juba to finalize the integration of Kitgwang forces into the South Sudan People’s Defence Force. The NSS reiterated its commitment to national security and peace.

The recent agreement between the government and the SPLM-IO Kitgwang faction, led by Gen. Gatwech, aims to resolve the conflict in the country. The pact was signed by Gen. Akec Tong Aleu, the Director General of the Internal Security Bureau (ISB), and representatives of the Kitgwang faction.

A previous peace agreement, signed in Khartoum on January 16, 2022, between the government and the Kitgwang faction, addressed security arrangements, a permanent ceasefire, amnesty, and the integration of Kitgwang forces into the national army.

That agreement, signed by government officials and Gen. Gatwech and his then-deputy Gen. Johnson Olony, committed the parties to the Khartoum Declaration Agreement and support for IDPs and government initiatives.

It stipulated the formation of a Joint Security Committee to oversee the relocation of Kitgwang forces and the deployment of police to secure civilians.