Ex-opposition spokesman William Gatjiath being detained at Magenis – unconfirmed reports

JUBA – Unconfirmed reports reaching Sudans Post suggest that former SPLA-IO spokesman Brigadier General William Gatjiath Deng who was replaced last week by First Vice President and main armed opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny is being held by SPLA-Io chief of staff General Simon Gatwech Dual.

It was not immediately clear why the former opposition mouthpiece was being detained, but this comes a week after damning recorded phone call in which the opposition spokesman revealed details of his recent visit to Juba.

Speaking to Sudans Post this afternoon, an opposition source in Khartoum said Gatjiath was detained on Thursday last week over the phone call recordings in which he said he had met General Akol Koor over possible plan to possibility remove Machar as SPLM-IO leader.

“There was a meeting in Magenis in which he (Gatjiath Deng) was asked to justify if he had go to meet Akol Koor in Juba upon orders of the chief of General Staff and in the process, he failed to give justification and now he is under detention,” the opposition source said.

Sudans Post could not independently verify the authenticity of the report and several contacts to the SPLA-IO spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel have not been answered.