![General Simon Gatwech Dual [Photo from a screen grab from YouTube]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/gatwech-dual.png?ssl=1)
JUBA — South Sudan main armed opposition commander and leader of the breakaway Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM/SPLA-IO) Kitgwang faction General Simon Gatwech Dual has denied endorsing President Salva Kiir Mayardit for the 2023 elections provided for in the revitalised peace agreement.
Last week, a message circulated on WhatsApp claims that General Simon Gatwech Dual has been given around 10 million dollars by President Kiir to conduct mobilisations for him in Greater Akobo for the upcoming general elections after allegedly agreeing to endorse him just after the January talks with the government in Khartoum.
Speaking to Sudans Post on Wednesday, James Kalany Mamuon, General Gatwech’s press secretary, said the speculations are unfounded and that the group was now focusing on the implementation of the Khartoum agreement signed for integration of their forces into the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) with the government.
“We haven’t heard of that claims that General Simon Gatwech Dual has endorsed President Salva for the elections and that is unfounded because we cannot do that given the nature of our agreement with the government of South Sudan,” Mamuon told Sudans Post from the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
The senior opposition mouthpiece said the elections are not a part of the Khartoum agreement and that they are focusing on the implementation of the security arrangements they signed with the government of President Kiir.
“We are not discussing anything related to the elections as I speak to you but on the security arrangements which we signed with the government in Khartoum, so it is not true that General Gatwech has signed a deal with the president to endorse him,” he said.
“I therefore urges the people of South Sudan to disregard this claim that General Gatwech has endorsed President Kiir for elections in 2023 and it is the enemies of progress doing this damage to General Gatwech, a military commander who has nothing to do with politics,” he added.
