Over 40 SPLM-IO politicians from Jonglei lament Gen. Gatwech, urge him to cease tribal rhetoric

JUBA – A group of over 40 South Sudanese politicians from the country’s Jonglei state has issued a statement condemning the recent Kitgwang declaration by opposition commander General Simon Gatwech Dual in which he attempted to remove First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny as the leader of the main armed opposition SPLM/SPLA (IO).

In the statement, the group urged General Gatwech’s faction to cease what they said is unhealthy propaganda mean on social media to mobilize young people on the basis of tribal lines saying the group should denounce the faction and opt in for an internal initiative to create dialogue within the SPLM-IO.

“We the members of Jonglei area (The former Bor District) do hereby condemn the Kitgwang Declaration in the strongest terms possible and remains loyal and committed to the April 2014 Nasir conference that endorsed Cde Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, PHD, as the Chairman and commander-in-chief of SPLM/A-IO, and who has also been reaffirmed by many conferences thereof including the recent December, 2020 National conference held in Juba,” the statement signed by 43 politicians from Jonglei state including members of the revitalized parliament said.

“With this, we call upon Gen. Simon Gatwech, who happened to be the leader of Kitgwang Declaration, and the entire group to denounce their faction and opt for the peaceful settlement to halt this uncalled internal crisis within SPLM/A-IO We is calling upon the Kitgwang group to maintain the unilateral ceasefire agreed on 11^th August 2021. With these calls, we the members of the Former Bor District in SPLM-IO party add our voice and call upon the Kitgwang group to stop confusing and mobilizing young youth, especially on tribal lines,” they said.

“We also urge the group to lest unhealthy propaganda on social media platforms which creates unnecessary panic amongst the civil population, the Kitgwang Declaration not only stabbed the SPLM-IO at the back while implementing the peace, but also exacerbated the fragile security situation in the country.

“We call upon the TROIKA countries, guarantors and all signatories to R-ARCSS to start exposing the double standards and peace spoilers within the R. TGONU, whose job is to be busy luring the military commanders from SPLA-IO into meaningless actions like this Kitgwang Declaration.

“We also appreciate the cooperation from the region and the international community with the R. TGONU under the leadership of His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit, and SPLM-IO under the able leadership of His Excellency Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, PHD, to find the lasting solution to this internal problem.

“We also appeal to comrades who have defected to Kitgwang group to reconsider their decisions and voluntarily comeback to the implementation of the peace agreement (R. ARCISS), and especially our own brother Cde Mabior Garang de Mabior and Deputy Chairman of SPLM-IO, Hon. Henry Dilah Odwar, to help in the few pending clauses to be implemented.”