June 18th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan’s main armed opposition group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) under the leadership of the country’s former First Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar Teny denied on Monday social media rumors that the Spokesman of the SPLA-IO forces Brig. Gen. William Gatjiath Deng has defected from the rebel’s camp.
On Saturday, SPLA Spokesman Brig. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang alleged that the SPLA-IO Spokesman Brig. Gen. William Gatjiath Deng has resigned due to what he called marginalization and lack of getting the needed support.
“News just indicated that veteran SPLA IO Spokesman, Brig. Gen. William Gatjiath Deng resigned over marginalization. Gen. William had in past consistently complained about his Deputy Col. Lam Paul Gabriel getting first hand information and going on air without his knowledge and authorization. He also complained of not getting the necessary support needed from SPLA IO leadership in order to discharge his duties and responsibilities as the Spokesman,” Lul wrote on Saturday.
However, Lul did not disclosed the source where he got the news of the defection.
Speaking to the Nyamilepedia on Monday, the SPLM-IO director of information and public relations Pouk Both Baluang said the social media rumors were baseless posted by the former spokesman of forces loyal to the country’s First Vice-President Taban Deng Gai.
“The rumors of Cde Gatjiath’s resignation is a mere propaganda created by the Taban’s spokesman Dickson Gatluak,” he told the Nyamilepedia on Monday from the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
In Addis Ababa, the SPLM-IO Youth League Chairman Pout Kang Chuol denied any knowledge and any credibility for the rumors saying the alleged defection is untrue and baseless.
