Gatwech names new military spokesman

JUBA – South Sudan opposition commander and leader of the breakaway SPLA-IO Kitgwang faction has appointed a new military spokesman to replace General Gatjiath Deng who defected to join the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces under President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

Gatjiath was appointed in 2015 as the spokesman of the SPLA-IO by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, but decided to defect from the group last August following the infamous SPLA-IO Kitgwang declaration that resulted in the split of the SPLA-IO into two factions with the breakaway faction being led by General Gatwech.

But earlier this year, Gatjiath who was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general defected from the SPLA-IO Kitgwang under Gatwech and joint the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces accusing General Gatwech of lacking vision and objective to operate a movement.

Since then, the group remained without a military spokesman and in a statement on Friday, Gatwech appointed Col. Alfred Gach Thot as the military spokesman of the SPLA-IO Kitgwang faction effective April 15, 2022.

“Based on the structural document of the SPLM/A (IO), and reference to Kitgwang Declaration, I 1^st Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, the Interim Chairman and Commander in Chief of the SPLM/A (IO) Kitgwang, do hereby appoint Col. Alfred Gach Thot as the as the military spokesperson of SPLA (IO) Kitgwang, with effect from 15^th April 202,” he said in a statement extended to Sudans Post.