Senior SPLA-IO commanders join General Cirilo’s National Salvation Front

JUBA – A number of senior SPLA-IO commanders previously allied to South Sudan’s First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny have decided to leave the group to join the holdout opposition group, National Salvation Front (NAS) led by General Thomas Cirilo Swaka, according to a statement extended to Sudans Post.

According to a statement by the National Salvation Front, Brigadier General Kennedy Ongie Odong, the commander of the SPLA-IO’s Tafeng Division Task Force in Eastern Equatoria state, has defected from Machar to join the holdout opposition group along with some commanders and an unknown number of soldiers.

“The Leadership of National Salvation Front (NAS) takes this opportunity to announce officially the joining of Tafeng Division task force of the SPLA-IO Eastern Equatoria State (EES) under Brig Gen. Kennedy Ongie Odong together with his colleagues and forces under their command on 5th December 2020,” the NAS statement said.

“The Leadership of NAS and its members view this development as historical and nationalistic move. NAS encourage all other forces in the country who are dissatisfied with the dictatorial regime of Salva Kiir including the SSPDF who feel exploited to emulate the example shown by Brig Gen. Odong and his colleagues,” it added.

The statement further appealed “to all freedom fighters in the country to join hands together with NAS in its struggle to restore our people’s lost dignity, justice, equality and freedom.”

“On behalf of NAS, the Leadership, members and the sympathizers warmly welcomes these forces into the ranks and files of NAS freedom fighters and we are looking forward to working together.”