January 17, 2022 — The factions of Kitgwang Declaration, rebel group under the leadership of Machar’s former Chief of Staff, 1st Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual and Lt. Gen. Johnson Olony Thabo, have signed two separate peace agreements with the government of president Salva Kiir in Khartoum, Sudan.
While three leaders of SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang faction namely Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, the Interim Chairman and C-in-C of SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang, his Deputy Gen. Johnson Olony Thabo and Gen. Thomas Mabor Dhoal, a member of SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang Military Supreme Council all signed the Khartoum Peace Agreement on behalf of the Magenis based faction, only Hon. Tut Gatluak Manime, the Presidential Advisor on Security, signed on behalf of President Salva Kiir Faction.
This signing was witnessed by Gen. Sham-Eldien Kabashi Ibrahim, member of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council on behalf of the Sudanese authorities.
The 3-paged Khartoum Peace Agreement(KPA) only summarized 5 items in few paragraphs and those include the amnesty of the SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang, Permanent Ceasefire, Period of the Implementation of the Agreement, Establishment of the Coordination Office in Juba and Logistics for Kitgwang forces.
The KPA entails that the SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang leadership and their forces should be given amnesty by president Salva Kiir as previously issued on August 8th, 2018.
Once given amnesty, the parties agree to recommit to June 27th Khartoum Declaration of Agreement that came into force on July 1st, 2018 and also to recommit to the September 12, 2018 peace agreement as signed.
The parties agreed that the period of the implementation of this peace agreement(KPA) shall not exceed three months and that include the establishment of the coordination office in Juba, integration of Kitgwang forces into the SSPDF and their logistics. These shall all be facilitated by the SSPDF.
On the sideline, Lt. Gen. Johnson Olony signed a 5-paged agreement between the government of President Salva Kiir and the Chollo Community under the Agwelek forces.
According to the documents extended to Nyamilepedia, the agreement between the government of President Kiir and Gen. Olony shall oversee a wide range of grievances that include land and communal matters, military and security matters, and also political matters.
“The two parties agreed that, Agwelek forces shall immediately and peacefully disengaged and remain independent from the SPLM/A IO mainstream” Part of the agreement reads.
“The two parties agreed that , the Agwelek forces and SSPDF will recommit to maintain the current and existing ceasefire till the reintegration processes are concluded and agreed not to engage in any violence with any forces in the area of responsibility” The agreement further states.
The two parties agreed that Chollo boundaries should remain as registered on January 1st, 1956 when Sudan gained independence.
The two parties agreed that the two communities of Chollo and Dinka shall have reconciliation dialogue that shall be led by religious leaders, community leaders and political leaders.
They also agreed that all assets that were claimed by none-owners should be returned to their owners peacefully and immediately.
“Return of individuals’ unmovable assets(house and shops) illegally occupied during the conflict. The state authorities to facilitate the return of individual homes and shops illegally or unlawfully occupied by illegal occupants in Malakal and other towns in Upper Nile State which will allow the rightful owners repossession”. Read part of the agreement.
The signing of the Khartoum Peace Agreement came shortly after the third most senior Kitgwang general, General Gattiek Diar Rial and the spokesman of the SPLMA/-IO Kitgwang Gen. William Gatjiath Deng defected from Kitgwang to join the government.
With Agwelek signing its own provisions, it remains unclear whether or not Gen. Johnson Olony and Simon Gatwech will continue to run their coalition for the next three months or so.
