Gatwech says Olony is ‘the root cause’ of Upper Nile violence

JUBA – The leader of the breakaway main armed opposition SPLA-IO faction, Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual has accused the leader of Agwelek faction, Gen. Johnson Olony Thabo, of standing behind the ongoing violence against civilians in Upper Nile State.

Earlier this month, armed civilians from Fangak County of Jonglei state crossed the river Nile and attacked civilian in Panyikang County killing dozens of civilians and displacing many to the capital Malakal where displaced people are being hosted at the campus of the Upper Nile University.

On several occasions, Gen. Johnson Olony and Upper Nile State Governor Abudhok Anyang accused Gatwech of the atrocities as the armed civilians are said to have joined the Gatwech-Olony war on the site of the SPLA-IO Kitgwang leader.

In a statement on Tuesday, the SPLA-IO Kitgwang spokesman Brig. Gen. Alfred Gach Thot accused the Agwelek faction of shelling civilian areas in Diel and Atar for the whole day on Monday and alleged that Olony is planning to attack their base in Tonja.

“The office of the spokesperson of SPLA-IO KD is to inform the public that the notorious Agwelek forces under Gen. Johnson Olony Thabo have started shelling the civilian-populated areas in Diel and Atar Ashuat yesterday morning until the evening hours and their master plan is to attack our base in Tunja,” Gen. Gach said.

“The SPLA-IO KD condemns that barbaric act of provocation in the strongest terms possible and calls for Agwelek forces to refrain from being a warmongers forces and if they continue for that aggressive behavior, the SPLA-IO KD has all rights for self-defense,” he added.

The statement further dismissed the alleged SPLA-IO Kitgwang faction’s participation in the ongoing violence in many parts of Panyikang County where the Gawaar White Army are attacking civilians and looting properties and blamed the violence on Olony.

“The SPLA-IO KD is also distance itself from the communal clashes in Fashoda County, Upper Nile State on the 8 – 9 /Oct/ 2022 and our forces was ordered by the Chairman and Commander in Chief of SPLM/A- IO KD to remains only to their bases,” the statement said.

“The root cause of communal conflict started in Panyikang county when the Agwelek forces under Gen. Johnson Olony Thabo has randomly targeted the innocent civilians of greater Fangak in Wej Panyikang and it’s now widely spread out to other areas,” the statement further added.