Juba, South Sudan
March 18, 2022 — South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar fired Machar’s former Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, from proposed Presidential Advisor on Peace and replaced him with his fellow Lou-Nuer politician and military general, Hon. David Reath Malual.
Gen. Gatwech, who rebelled from Machar’s led SPLM/A-IO and formed his own rebel group, the Kitgwang Faction, was named to the position last year on the ticket of the SPLM-IO but Gen. Gatwech denounced his appointment within two days citing lack of implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement and instead opted to claim the opposition power from Dr. Riek Machar Teny.
In a statement read out on the state-run South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on March 14, President Kiir issued a republican decree relieving Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual as Presidential Advisor for Peace with immediate effect from 14th March 2022.
In a separate decree President Kiir appointed Gen. David Reath Malual Liep as the Presidential Advisor for Peace replacing Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual.
“In exercise of the powers conferred upon me under article (101) of the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan 2011 as amended read together with section (38) (1) of the interpretation of the agreement and general provision Act (2006), I, Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan do hereby issue this republican decree for the relieve of Hon. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual as Presidential Advisor for Peace issued under my hand and seal of the Republic of South Sudan in Juba this 14th of the March in the year 2022 A.D, signed President Salva Kiir Mayardit, South Sudan, Juba “, the republican decree read.
While the replacement of Gen. Gatwech was long overdue, it was not clear if the SPLM/A-IO leadership would appoint a senior politician from Gen. Gatwech’s immediate community, a political decision that has been practiced in the SPLM/A mainstream for years and continue to divide communities.
The leader of Kitgwang faction, Gen. Simon Gatwech and his deputy, Gen. Johnson Olony, have signed a unilateral peace deal with Kiir’s SPLM/SSPDF faction but it remains unclear how president Kiir will accommodate Machar’s former right hand man turned arch rival.
On the other hand, the appointment of Hon. David Reath Malual has been highly welcomed by Dr. Machar’s die-hard supporters who wish him well in his new assignment as a presidential advisor on peace.
