Gatwech, Olony not being detained by security agencies in Khartoum – spokesman

JUBA – South Sudan’s main armed opposition SPLM-IO Kitgwang faction has denied that its Interim Chairman and Commander in Chief General Simon Gatwech Dual and his deputy General Johnson Olony Thabo are under house detention from Sudanese security agencies in the capital Khartoum.

Social media users have been circulating speculations that Gatwech and Olony have both been forced to stay at a compound in Khartoum and that they have been threatened with deportation to South Sudan if they attempt to return to Magenis before reaching a peace agreement with President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s government.

In a statement, Brig. Gen. William Gatjiath Deng said the two men are now in the Sudanese capital Khartoum engaging regional powers such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on how the planned peace talks between Gatwech and President Salva Kiir’s government should be started.

“The office of information for Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition SPLA (IO) would like to inform the general public that, the military team led by the interim Chairman and Commander in Chief (C-in-C) General Simon Gatwech Dual, and his deputy 1^st Lt. Gen. Johnson Olony Thubo, is now in the Sudanese capital Khartoum engaging the IGAD Plus to takes full responsibility and gets ready for the coming negotiation between the government of South Sudan and the new leadership of the SPLM/A(IO) that will takes place soon may be in the next fortnight,” Gatjiath wrote in the statement.

He accused members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny of sparking those rumors which he said is mean by the Machar loyalist to stir up the already dire situation.

“Therefore, the allegations being fabricated and seen floating on social media by Dr. Riek Machar’s supporters claiming that, the team in Khartoum is being detained by the Sudanese authority actually, is not true and also just a political maneuver that aims to provoke the situation in the country,” he added.

“Moreover, the diehard supporters of the people’s movement shall dismiss the allegation and regard it as fallacy and fictional story of the day,” he added.