Magenis, Sudan
Sep 22, 2021—The defacto Chairman and Commander-In-Chief of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In-Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) of the Kitgwang faction, Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual has refuted the allegations that he and his Deputy Gen. Johnson Olony Thabo have fallen out in Magenis over Kitgwang conference which Gen. Gatwech tried to organize but was suddenly called off.
This comes less than 24 hours after Gen. Johnson Olony said in an exclusive interview with Radio Tamazuj yesterday, that there will be no conference and the invited guests such as Gen. Malong, Gen. Thomas Cirilo and Gen. Stephen Buay will not also attend if there would be a conference.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj early today, Gen. Simon Gatwech clarified by saying Gen. Olony is his deputy in command and what he said two days ago is what they have agreed upon.
Gen. Gatwech explains that he called off the conference due to financial constraints saying they can’t afford to accommodate and feed the attendants.
“Gen. Johnson Olony is my deputy, and we don’t have any problem at all we just adjourned the conference because we don’t have financial capacity. You know when you organize the conference people needs food and water but we don’t have money to buy such stuff “, Gen. Gatwech said in an interview.
When asked about whether they had consultations first with his deputy Olony before extending invitations to other opposition holdout groups, Gen. Gatwech said he just invited them for the sake of invitation because he knew such people would never like to go to place like Magenis even if Gen. Olony didn’t speak about them, adding that he knew they couldn’t attend the conference.
” I just invited them but I know none of them would accept to show up, there is no any problem we are just for peace”, he added.
In an exclusive interview on Monday, Johnson Olony referred to the invited Generals and Kitgwang politicians saying he doesn’t want people to fight on Chollo land again in Upper Nile.
“If Gen. Paul Malong wants to fight regime let him go to Bhar El Ghazal , if Henry Odwar wants to fight regime let him start in Equatoria and the same thing to Thomas Cirilo” he said.
He said as a general he doesn’t fight for regime change but for the implementation of the Security Arrangements.
