Top SPLA-IO general killed in Maiwut

JUBA – A senior South Sudan main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) commander has been killed by South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) during Sunday and Monday’s clashes in Maiwut County of Upper Nile state, a senior group’s member in Jekou confirmed.

Gen. Gatluak Bieh Tutdel, who is better known as ‘Diesel’, was killed on Sunday when SSPDF forces commanded by General Ochan Puot and General James Khor Chuol Giet, according to the senior opposition group’s member who spoke to Sudans Post on condition of anonymity.

“This is to confirm that Brig. Gen. Gatluak Bieh Tutdel has been killed in action when forces of militias commanded by General Ochan Puot and General Khor Chuol Giet attacked our base here in Jekou and killed some of our soldiers,” the senior opposition member said on phone from Jekou.

The senior opposition officer said General Gatluak is the most senior member of the SPLA-IO officers killed during the clashes which have been lamented by the United States, United Kingdom and Norway, as acts that jeopardize the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement.

“In total, about 17 soldiers from outside have been killed. We have such a big number of casualties because we didn’t expect to go to war with our peace partners, but they came anyway while soldiers are sleeping and start the war again,” the senior opposition officer added.

Fighting has seen escalation over this week as several SPLA-IO positions in both Upper Nile and Unity State witnessed attacks carried out by South Sudan People’s Defense Forces with SPLM-IO pulling out of important joint security mechanisms overseeing the implementation of the security arrangements.

The Troika issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon condemning the attack on SPLA-IO positions by the SSPDF and defectors and called on the country’s peace monitors, R-JMEC and CTSAMVM) “to provide urgently an assessment of whether these attacks constitute a breach of R-ARCSS and identify those that bear primary responsibility.”