Gatwech urges SPLA-IO forces to surrender to him ‘before it is too late’

JUBA – South Sudan main armed opposition commander and leader of the breakaway SPLA-IO faction, General Simon Gatwech Dual is urging the SPLA-IO forces which he said have been betrayed by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny to surrender to the SPLA-IO forces under his command.

This comes as fighting continue to take place in several areas of Upper Nile state between forces belonging to Gatwech, the former SPLA-IO chief of staff who deserted Machar in August last year following an attempt by him and others to remove the first vice president as chairman and commander in chief of the SPM/SPLA (IO).

Speaking to Sudans Post this afternoon, James Kalany Mamuon, the press secretary of General Gatwech urged the forces that have remained under Machar to surrender to their forces saying the forces of the SPLA-IO have been deceived by Machar and are wandering in the villages without food and medicine.

“These forces have been betrayed by Riek and his group in Juba and they are now moving between villages. But the good news is that our forces will be integrated into the SSPDF and this is a great opportunity for them to also come on board to us and we will treat them fairly with our forces because they belong to us,” he said.

“Therefore, I urges them to surrender to our forces so that they can benefit from the integration process which is beginning very soon so that they can be integrated back to the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces and be trained as members of the national army of South Sudan,” he added.

Gatwech signed a peace agreement with President Salva Kiir last month paving way for the integration of his forces who broke rank with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) under First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny sparking fierce and deadly fighting among the opposition factions.