General Gatwech ‘has no intention to wage war’ against Machar – spokesman

JUBA – South Sudan’s opposition commander, General Johnson Olony Thabo, who left main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) last week to form a faction of his own has no intention to attack SPLA-IO forces under the overall command of First Vice President and SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny, an opposition spokesman allied to the Kitgwang rebel-leader said.

This comes a week after a factional deadly fighting between forces loyal to both Machar and General Gatwech broke out resulting in the killing of at least 30 people. General Gatwech had declared that he had replaced Machar as the SPLM-IO leader blaming him for ‘surrendering’ to the regime of President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

In a statement on Wednesday night, SPLM-IO Director of Information and Public Relations Puok Both Baluang who is also the acting press secretary in the office of the First Vice President said Machar had received phone calls from General Johnson Olony Thabo, deputy chairman of the Kitgwang break-away faction, and informed him of their acceptance of a Machar-proposed ceasefire.

“Gen. Johnson Olony informed H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon about their group acceptance of the ceasefire,” Baluang said in the statement a copy of which was extended to Sudans Post

For his part, Brigadier General William Gatjiath Deng, the SPLA-IO spokesman allied to General Gatwech, confirmed the phone calls between the two leaders and said General Johnson Olony had informed Machar that they don’t have any intention to attack the forces against Machar.

“[General Johnson Olony informed] him that we have no intention to wage war against our [own] forces but we felt astonished for sporadic attack at Magenis,” Gatjiath said in the statement a copy of which was also extended to Sudans Post.