SPLA Chief of Staff Not Relieved!

Oct 31, 2015(Nyamilepedia) — Following a report circulated on social media, alleging that the SPLA [in Opposition] Chief of General Staff, 1st Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, has been relieved by the Chairman and Commander-in-chief, Dr. Riek Machar, the office of SPLA-IO military spokesman responses, dusting the report as a “baseless propaganda”.

According to Col. Willaim Gatjiath Deng, the Military Spokesman of SPLA-IO, 1st Lt. Gen. Gatwech has not been relieved.

“I strongly denounced and condemned the fake claim posted by unknown source that our Chief of General Staffs, 1^st Lt Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual Hoth has been relived. That is a baseless propaganda made by Juba intentionally to create crack among the movement.” Col. Gatjieth said.

Col. Gatjiath reiterates that Gen. Gatwech is committed to the cause of the people of South Sudan and thus the IO leadership do not see any reason to replace him.

Gatjiath believes that the Chief of Staff is currently leading the Security Delegation team in the ongoing negotiation on the Security Arrangement in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, a report that was confirmed by Nyamilepedia’s editorial team member in Addis Ababa.

“SPLM-IO Chief of Staff Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual is in Addis carrying on with his duties normally as chief of staff without any changes to his work or his position. He’s heading SPLM-IO security team at the IGAD security arrangements talks currently underway in Addis Ababa.” said our visiting editorial staff, Emmanuel Aremo, in Addis Ababa.

According to Gatjiath, the forged document was published today by unidentified source on social media.

Col. Gatjiath calls on members and supporters of SPLM/SPLA [IO] to disregard “those misleading information for they lack credibility and were meant to cause panic within the people’s movement.”

Earlier reports Dr. Eric Reeve, a professor of English Language and Literature at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, who speaks for Salva Kiir government indicates that Gen. Gatwech and six other senior generals defected from SPLM/SPLA, however, only two generals were later relieved and confirmed their defection.

Eric Reeve released his reports through his blog earlier this year and later through an interview by the Al Jezeera News.

In other reports, members of South Sudan government delegation on Security arrangement have been prevented from leaving Addis Ababa by the Ethiopian authority.