Juba, South Sudan
Sep 7, 2021— A senior opposition commander loyal to South Sudan’s First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny has switched allegiance to Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual.
In a statement extended to Nyamilepedia, Maj. Gen. William Deng Gai has declared his support to Kitgwang Declaration under the leadership of Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual and Gen. Johnson Olony.
” I Maj. Gen. William Deng Gach do hereby to give my full support to the Kitgwang Declaration, and would like to join 1st. Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual and his deputy 1st. Lt. Gen. Johnson Olony Thabo to work with them hand to hand and continue the struggle along with our comrades in the struggle under their strong leadership from now onwards “, Deng declared.
According to Maj. Gen. William Deng, it is no longer feasible to stand by and watch Dr. Riek Machar Teny continuing to run the SPLM/A-IO as he wishes.
The spilt in ranks and files of the SPLM/A-IO became official in early July when the SPLA-IO chief of the staff Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual stopped taking orders from Dr. Machar .
On August 4th, 2021, Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual announced it publicly that he deposed the leader of the SPLM/A-IO, Dr. Riek Machar Teny and declared himself as the head of the main opposition group but Dr. Machar dismissed the claim and called it an illegal act sponsored by the enemies whose intention is to spoil peace implementation.
Since then many politicians and military generals have shifted their allegiance to Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual believing that he is a better option to shake the status quo in the country.
Gatwech appointed the then Deputy Chairman of SPLM/A-IO, Henry Odwar as head of his political wing to organize the political leaders of his faction, a move which was widely supported by many people as a gesture of inclusivity in the movement.
