Gen. Tito Biel Wich joins Gatwech

JUBA – South Sudan main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) commander General Tito Biel Wich who defected from the group last week to form a faction of his own has said that he has joined the breakaway SPLM-IO Kitgwang SPLM-IO faction.

The SPLM-IO Kitgwang faction is led by former SPLM-IO chief of staff General Simon Gatwech Dual and General Johnson Olony Thubo who disagreed with SPLM-IO chairman and South Sudan First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny in August last year.

In  an interview with Sudans Post this morning, General Tito Biel said he has decided to ‘share struggle’ with General Simon Gatwech Dual because he has the same grievances with him over the stalled implementation of the security arrangements provided for in the revitalized peace agreement.

“I have decided to join the SPLM-IO Kitgwang led by General Simon Gatwech Dual because the issues that I have raised are the same which he had raised that angered Dr. Riek Machar and our demand to the government of South Sudan is to respect the revitalized peace agreement,” he said.

“What led by us to this situation is that we have been saying since the signing of the peace agreement in 2018 is that let us implement the peace agreement, and Riek Machar says no and this is simply because he has secured his seat under the same person we fought against in 2013,” he said.

The senior opposition commander further said that he has the backing of SPLM-IO forces in Unity state and that he has been in contact with General Simon Gatwech since yesterday finalizing the terms of their alliance which he said will lead to an expedited implementation of the agreement.

“Since the Joknyang declaration, we have been reluctant to join General Gatwech’s forces and after I spoke with him, I found out that our unity will help in the implementation of the agreement which will lead to a more secure and peace South Sudan,” he added.