Kiir ‘shouldn’t be a trusted partner’ in peace – Gatwech tells Olony

JUBA – South Sudan’s controversial opposition commander and self-imposed leader of the SPLM-IO Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual has hinted at disagreements with General Johnson Olony Thabo on the terms of their return to the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit saying the South Sudanese leader cannot be a trusted peace partner.

Last week, Gen. Olony said in an interview that the opposition commanders in Magenis have been expecting a team from President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s government to negotiate their return to South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) threatening to fight First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar if the later refuse to share his power shares allocated to him under the terms of the revitalized peace agreement.

Speaking to Sudans Post this afternoon in Magenis, General Gatwech said although the Kitgwang faction wants to negotiate an end to the military confrontations with the government of President Salva Kiir, the government remains an untrusted partner in the implementation of the security arrangements saying most provisions of the 2018 peace agreement have remained unimplemented making it difficult to tell what different would their return to the government bring in regards to the security arrangements.

“Yes it is true that we are negotiating with the government in Juba and for our possible return to the SPLA army in South Sudan. But what I want to tell my comrades (meaning Olony) is that the government in Juba under President Salva Kiir Mayardit shouldn’t be a trusted partner in the implementation of the agreement, especially the security arrangements which should have been completed two years ago,” he said.

“The agreement was signed in 2018, three years later; we are struggling to implement the security arrangements. People are still in the camps and the security inside the country remains fragile. If the government of Salva cannot implement the security arrangements with Riek [Machar] since he surrendered to him in 2020, what guarantees that he is going to implement the security arrangements if we return to Juba?” Gen. Gatwech asked.

He reiterated his calls for the full implementation of the revitalized peace agreement saying he is “not interested to return to war,” but warns that “tactical delays” to implement the security arrangements and other provisions of the peace deal will push the parties back to square one.

“I am for peace, Olony is for peace but we are not saying that let’s give up on the security arrangements by going to Juba without asking about the full implementation of the revitalized peace agreement and the security arrangements,” he said.