Kiir meets Agwelek team, asks Olony to return to Juba

JUBA – President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Wednesday met the advance team of the Agwelek, a faction under the command of Gen. Johnson Olony, and reiterated his call for the opposition commander to return to Juba.

The meeting held in J-1 on Wednesday discussed insecurity in Malakal of Upper Nile State.

“President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Wednesday met with the advance team of the Agwelek, a faction under the command of Gen. Johnson Olony, to discuss the issues of insecurities in Upper Nile State, particularly Malakal,” a statement from the Office of President said.

Agwelek, the breakaway Kit-Gwang faction of the SPLM/SPLA-IO, recently clashed with the forces of the SPLM/A in Opposition Kitgwang faction under Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual in Panyikang County.

The deadly fighting left several civilians dead and displaced thousands.

The advance team briefed President Kiir on the status of the implementation of the Khartoum Peace Agreement, signed in January between SPLM-IG and the SPLM-IO Kit-Gwang group led by Gen. Simon Gatwech,

It said President Kiir’s concerns over insecurity in Malakal town were caused by the fighting between SPLM-IO Kitgwang factions led by General Simon Gatwech and General Johnson Olony in Upper Nile State.