Gen. Gatjiath Deng meets Kiir, declares joining SSPDF

JUBA – Former South Sudan main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) General Gatjiath Deng has met President Salva Kiir Mayardit at the presidency on Wednesday and declared his intention to join the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces.

Gatjiath was the official military spokesman of the SPLA-IO under First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny since 2015, but decided to join the breakaway SPLA-IO Kitgwang faction when former SPLA-IO chief of general staff General Simon Gatwech Dual broke away from Machar in August 2021.

But in January this year, General Gatjiath Deng accused General Gatwech and General Johnson Olony Thabo of lacking mental capacity to lead a rebel group against the government and then defected to join the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces in Juba.

He has since been silent.

In a statement on Wednesday, the presidency said Gatjiath and a group of officer let by Gen. Gattiek Dar met President Kiir at J-1 and the group declared its intention that they have joined the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces under President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

“His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic met with series of commanders from SPLM/A- IO Kit-Gwang faction declaration led by the 1st /Lt. Gen. James Gattiek Diar Rial and during the meeting the group declared their allegiance to the Government under the leadership of H.E. President Salva Kiir Mayardit, the commander in Chief (C-in-C) of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF),” the presidency statement said.

“The army Generals said they have abandoned SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang Declaration and joined the SSPDF under the leadership of H.E. President Salva Kiir Mayardit due to a number of reasons,” the statement added.

Press secretary in the office of the president Ateny Wek Ateny said Kiir has “welcomed the group to SSPDF.”