Last week, General Biel told Sudans Post that he was leaving Machar for President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s site. A few days later, he and his forces said they are joining General Simon Gatwech Dual, the leader of the breakaway SPLA-IO Kitgwang faction, for the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement.
But speaking to Sudans Post last evening, Gen. Biel said he had spoken to Gen. Gatwech and the later was ‘unclear’ on his objective and on how the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces was going to complete the integration of his forces into the country’s army.
“Spoke to him and it has been several days and he has explained to me what the terms of their agreement with the government are because I want to get a clear picture of how the Khartoum agreement with President Kiir was going to be implemented and when,” he said from Mayom.
“So, without wasting time, I have told him that I am sorry for having joined him in the first place without asking these important question and as such, I am declaring that I have fully joined the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces under President Salva Kiir Mayardit,” the former SPLA-IO officer added.
Biel is one of a number of senior SPLA-IO officers who decided to switch side from First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny to South Sudan People’s Defense Forces under President Salva Kiir Mayardit since the chaotic start of the year 2022 within the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement.
Last month, two senior commanders of the SPLA-IO in Jonglei state’s Ayod and Fangak counties accused Machar of not respecting them and of running the movement together with his wife, Angelina Teny, who is also the South Sudan defense minister.
I am wondering why these generals are so desperately. Switch sides three times in just matter of days what is going on in their minds? Anyway, all those generals Breaks away from Machar’s camp should not create another bloodshed again. If they are not happy with Dr. Riek Machar Teny then, they have to joined SSPDF without fighting.
There are a lot of people talking about the issue of unified forces in South Sudan. Within Machar’s camp, some people are telling their leader Dr. Riek Machar to considering letting his SPLA I0 forces joining SSPDF so that, peace will be achieved in the country on the other hand, there are some people also within Machar’s camp pressuring him to consider making reconciliation and healing process with the ruling party SPLM as the massive defections is continuing and that has already affected the 2018 peace agreement.
I think if South Sudanese people are like me then, they should have to makes dialogue on Army and bringing all SPLA I0 forces into SSPDF as one National Army and all generals must go for leadership training and the core Idea of doing that is to stop fighting and be more focusing on national issues instead of individuals. If it is me, the SPLA I0 forces of Simon Gatwech Dual, Johnson Olony Thabo, Tito Biel Wich, general Dak Riek and SSPDF must be brought together as a national Army. Faith base groups need to help young nation by telling all these generals to forget about having small different soldiers instead of combining all uniforms and be focusing on National issues.