Gen. Gatwech’s group says ‘Kiir wants us to return to Juba one-by-one’  

JUBA – South Sudan’s main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/SPLA-IO) Kitgwang faction led by former SPLA-IO chief of staff Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual has said that President Salva Kiir Mayardit is working to weaken the group by taking their senior army commanders to Juba one on by one.

Speaking to Sudans Post this afternoon, Brigadier General William Gatjiath Deng, the SPLA-IO spokesman allied to Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, said they have been waiting for the team of the government to continue negotiating with them, but none of the officials in Juba have contacted them on the way forward.

“Since last time when our leaders met with the government delegation in  Khartoum under the auspices of the government of the Republic of Sudan, the government delegation from President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s side haven’t contacted us or spoke to us to tell us what was to be the way forward,” Gatjiath told Sudans Post from the Sudanese capital Khartoum.

The senior opposition official said the group has been worried by an ongoing lobbying by the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit for some senior opposition officials to defect from the Gatwech-led SPLA-IO faction which he said undermine the principle of good-faith which the parties agreed for in October.

“In October, we agreed with the government in front of the Sudanese government that none of the parties shall involve in lobbying to disintegrate the other party’s system, but this is what they are really doing. They have now contacted some senior commanders of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition for the purpose of going to Juba,” he said.

The senior opposition commander further said the government silence without returning to the opposition group in Khartoum is a ploy to further weaken the opposition group saying the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit is conspiring to take more senior opposition commanders before renegotiating with them.

“Now it is several months and we don’t know what we are doing. The government of Sudan has issues and we can’t blame them. But what is it that the government of South Sudan is doing to warrant such a silence. We are aware that the government of President Salva Kiir is not interested in a good peace, but want us to return to Juba one-by-one which is a none-starter,” the opposition officer further added.