Khartoum, Sudan
April 20, 2022 — South Sudan’s senior opposition Commander and leader of Kitgwang faction Gen Simon Gatwech Dual orders his advance team to retreat back to Khartoum, saying his peace partner has no political will to implement the deal they signed recently in Khartoum.
On 1st February 2022, a delegation of over 30 military officers of the SPLM/A-IO Kit-Gwang faction arrived in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, to follow up on the implementation of the Khartoum Peace Agreement that was brokered in early January 2022.
The agreement between President Salva Kiir’s group and the SPLM/A-IO Kit-Gwang faction led by General Simon Gatwech provided for the integration of Kit-Gwang forces into the national army, the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF).
General Simon Gatwech Dual, head of the group, and General Johnson Olony, commander of the Agwelek forces, signed two separate agreements with Kiir’s faction.
The agreement also guarantees the implementation of the security arrangements, a permanent ceasefire, grants the Kit-Gwang faction amnesty, and reintegration of the breakaway SPLA-IO forces into the SSPDF within three months among others.
Speaking to the media , Gen. Gatwech said he addressed a letter to government of South Sudan on 17th April, 2022 in which he requested that his advance team return to Khartoum since the deal they had signed with the government is at the verge of collapse and the agreed time frame also elapsed.
“I have written a letter to the South Sudan government to allow my advance team to come back to Khartoum because the three months deadline has elapsed… I wrote the letter on 17 April, so I am waiting for them to reply,” General Simon Gatwech, leader of the SPLM/A-IO Kit-Gwang faction told media.
“I also wrote a letter to the government of Sudan as guarantors about the matter. So, I am waiting for them to reply… I will make comments on the peace deal status after a briefing by my advance team.”, he added.
According to senior defacto opposition leader, delays in the implementation of the peace agreement prompted him to recall his advance team from Juba to Khartoum for consultations.
“The members of the advance team are in Juba, they are doing nothing there, there is no peace being implemented, “I want my advance team to come to Khartoum so that they brief me on the peace agreement and then we agree on the way forward.”, Gen. Gatwech stressed.
He emphasized that he was not part of the unified command of the armed forces that was created by President Salva Kiir last week. However, General Gatwech reiterated his commitment to the peace agreement he signed with Kiir earlier this year.
Early this month, the unification of the command was made by President Kiir and none of Gen. Gatwech’s officers was heard casting doubt whether the president dishonored the deal they reached with breakaway faction or not.
