Juba, South Sudan
December 29, 2021—The Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In-Opposition (SPLA-IO) allied to the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, has refuted allegations that they lost one of their senior military officers at the rank of General during clashes with the breakaway faction led by SPLA-IO former Chief of Staff, Gen. Simon Gatwich Dual on December 26 in Magenis.
In a statement seen by Nyamilepedia, the SPLA-IO spokesman, Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel says that they lost no military general and that the clash was between patrols of the two belligerent forces.
Earlier on Boxing Day, Gen. Gatwich’s military spokesperson, Brigadier General William Gatjiath Deng said their forces came under attack but killed a General allied to Dr. Machar; however, he failed to reveal his identity or names, a claim Col. Lam Paul Gabriel completely denied.
“The truth has to be told. I am sure a General of ours could not be present in the place where the clashes took place; it was in their (Kit Gwang) area. So, we do not have any General who was killed, those clashes started when our patrol team met with theirs and clashed and we repulsed them back to their bases in Magenis.”, Col. Lam said on Monday.
“This (Monday) morning they sent reinforcements to attack our positions so our forces are on standby.”he added.
The SPLA-IO Spokesperson Col. Lam said their forces are in barracks or cantonment sites and are for peace and urges the Kitgwang faction to observe peace.
“My message is that all citizens of South Sudan want peace. All our forces are in their barracks and or cantonment sites. If the Kit Gwang people want power, they should not try to get it by force,” he said.
According to Lam, the rebels cannot change Dr. Riek Machar by force because that matter was settled in the peace agreement, saying that even if they wanted to fight to overthrow Dr. Machar, they would lose the war since they only have their presence in Magenis compared to the SPLM-IO of Dr. Machar that has presence over whole South Sudan.
“So, even if they wanted to fight and we moved all our forces against them, they would lose. So, let us unite as South Sudanese and bring peace for our citizens”, he further elaborated.
On 4th of August 2021 the SPLA-IO former chief of General Staff Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual took the unilateral declaration that became known as the Kitgwang Declaration in which he claimed to have replaced Dr. Machar as the Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLM/A-IO, a decision that provoked clashes between the divided forces.
