Olony ‘not happy’ with Henry Odwar’s return – opposition diplomat  

KHARTOUM – South Sudan’s main armed opposition commander and deputy chairman of the SPLM-IO Kitgwang faction, General Johnson Olony Thabo, is reportedly not happy over the return of SPLM-IO Kitgwang head of political wing Henry Odwar to the Sudanese capital Khartoum.

Odwar returned to Khartoum from Canada over the weekend after having been under treatment in Canada since 2020.

Odwar who was the deputy chairman of the SPLM-IO under First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny in August declared his intention to joint then emerging Kitgwang faction after accusing Machar of surrendering to the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit at the expend of the revitalized peace agreement.

Days later, General Simon Gatwech Dual appointed Odwar as head of the SPLM/SPLA (IO) Kitgwang faction’s political bureau angering General Johnson Olony who sees no need for politicians in the main armed opposition faction.

Speaking to Sudans Post this morning from the Sudanese capital Khartoum, opposition diplomat allied to General Simon Gatwech Dual said General Johnson Olony is not happy about Odwar’s return saying he hasn’t called to check on the opposition figure since his return last week.

“General Johnson Olony is not happy about the return of H.E Henry Odwar, the head of Political Bureau of the SPLM/SPLA (IO) from Canada and this is a source of concern for us because we believe that H.E Henry Odwar is an important part of the SPLM/SPLA (IO) and all leaders in the movement should be happy and proud of his role,” he said.

“Since his return, General Olony hasn’t called Odwar and we don’t know yet if he will accept to involve him in the negotiation process with the government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit in Juba,” he added.

It is worth mentioning that General Johnson Olony in August had expressed his hesitance of participation of politicians in the group saying “no war should be fought in the Shilluk Kingdom again.”