Odwar welcomes appointment as SPLM-IO political chief, to travel to Magenis

JUBA — South Sudan’s former minister of mining and deputy chairman of the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) Henry Odwar has welcomed his appointment as head of the SPLM-IO Political Wing and said he will be traveling to Magenis in early September.

Odwar is an influential member of the SPLM-IO. He resigned as minister of mining in the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity last week and declared allegiance to the SPLM-IO faction led by General Simon Gatwech Dual.

General Gatwech then appointed Odwar, who was deputy to First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny in the SPLM-IO, as head of the SPLM-IO Political Wing. The top opposition official is in Canada receiving medication.

Speaking to Sudans Post on Sunday morning, Odwar welcomed his appointment by General Gatwech as head of the SPLM-IO Political Wing saying he will likely be discharged from hospital next week and will immediately travel to Magenis where he will be meeting Gen. Gatwech and other leaders of the breakaway faction.

“Yes, I  have accepted to be in the interim arrangements,” Odwar told Sudans Post by phone from Canada. “I am likely to be fully discharged in the coming week. As soon as I get fully discharged, I will head to Magenis.”