Kiir, Machar told not to use Gatwech, Olony as proxies to perpetuate war

JUBA – President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his first deputy Dr. Riek Machar Teny who is the leader of the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) have been told by a local activist not to use leaders of the breakaway SPLA-IO Kitgwang faction Gen. Gatwech Dual and Gen. Johnson Olony Thubo to wage proxy war.

This comes a day after the Machar-led main armed opposition group accused the security forces allied to the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) of giving green light to Agwelek forces under Gen. Johnson Olony to attack a well-known SPLA-IO base in the oil-rich Upper Nile state, days after the same forces fought with Gen. Gatwech Dual’s group in Tonja.

In a statement extended to Sudans Post, Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), said he is disturbed by reports of renewed fighting in Upper Nile state and warned that the fighting among the Kitgwang rival factions may lead to genocide among the communities where the leaders comes from.

“CEPO is disturbed and strongly condemns on-going proxy military fighting in some parts of Upper Nile state. The ongoing military confrontation among the leaders of Kit-Wang declaration may lead to serious genocide among their conflicting forces and communities if it is not prevent now,” Yakani said in the statement on Friday.

“The trend of armed violence between the forces of Gatwech and Olony requires urgent intervention from the mediators of Khartoum peace agreement dated January 16, 2022. Sudan military who mediated the January 2022 Khartoum peace agreement should take responsibility of speaking out about the fate of the peace deal. Mediation of peace agreement goes with responsibility to prevent its collapse or violation,” he added.

The outspoken activist who has persistently called for disengagement of rival rebel forces said “the military confrontation between forces of Gatwech and Olony are likely to trigger commitment of genocide among their conflicting communities in some parts of Upper Nile state of it is not early prevented.”

Yakani said the nature of the confrontation between the one-time comrades indicate that it is a proxy conflict between the SPLA-IO and the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces and urged the peace-monitoring Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) to investigate it and stressed that respect for the ceasefire is necessary in the transition from violence to peace.

“The nature of the ongoing military confrontation is proxy war and it is drawing in the forces of the parties to the peace agreement mainly SPLA-IO and SSPDF. Currently trade of accusations is already witnessed from between SPLA-IO against the SSPDF. This is risk and CTSAMVM should urgently investigate and verify these allegations before the public,” he said.

“Respect of the permanent ceasefire agreement is essential for successful political transitional process from violence to peace. Whoever is aiding proxy war in South Sudan is undermining the successful and peace transition of the situation from violence to peace,” Yakani said.

Yakani further urged “the forces of Gatwech and Olony to observation immediate cessation of hostilities without any pre-conditions and Sundance army who mediate the Khartoum peace agreement of January 16, 2022 should intervene for preventing possible occurrence of genocide among the conflicting forces of Gatwech and Olony in some parts of Upper Nile state.”