SPLA-IO rivals in deadly Christmas gunfire

The Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) yesterday revealed that they were engaged in a fire exchange with the breakaway faction, Kit-Gwang, led by its former Chief of General Staff, Simon Gatwech Dual.

The Spokesperson of the SPLA-IO the Lam Paul Gabriel told The City Review that they had received an offensive from Kit Gwang declaration leading to a serious battle in Magenis, Upper Nile.

“Just hold on a little bit, we are following a fresh attack that happened this morning,” Lam said in a telephone interview yesterday morning.

However, details of the fresh attacks including casualties have not been revealed yet. By the time of going to the press, The City Review was waiting for a detailed account of the fire exchange plus the casualties.

Sunday attacks

This was after fresh clashes ensued on Sunday at Magenis between SPLA-IO and its splinter faction, leaving 43 soldiers and four alleged Sudanese pastoralists’ dead, the spokesperson of the Kit Gwang faction, William Gatjiath told Eye Radio.

Gatjiath said the 2 am clashes were as a result of an attack from forces he claimed were loyal to the First Vice President Dr Riek Machar’s SPLA-IO.

He said the initial attack saw their six soldiers killed and 16 others wounded, but 37 bodies were later found, which he claimed were from the rival forces. He added that four pastoralists were also killed in the crossfire.

 “Yesterday, at 2 am, the forces loyal to the First Vice President, Dr Riek Machar attacked our forces in Magenis. They came in three directions, they fought us at 2 am in the outskirts of the town, at 3 am they pushed out our forces and entered Magenis. At 5 am, we repulsed them back,” William Gatjiath said.

“It was a deadly attack, the casualties on our side we lost 6 people and 16 others were injured. We found 37 dead bodies of attackers on the ground after they were repulsed, also four Arab herders were killed in a crossfire.”

He urged the government to devise means of containing the escalating violence.

 “If the government of South Sudan is serious about peace, they need to question Dr Riek and investigate his forces. We are here in Magenis as part of the South Sudan army, we are waiting for the government to sit down with us and sort out our issues,” he added.

Kit Gwang Declaration

Simon Gatwech and Johnson Olony announced on August 3, 2021, that they had replaced Dr Machar from his position as the chairman of SPLA-IO.

In September, the Kit Gwang faction crafted several accusations against Dr Machar concerning what they called continuous attacks.

Johnson Olony who deputises Gatwech as the SPLA-IO Deputy Commander said they would begin to stand their ground in self-defence in wait for the implementation of Chapter Two of the agreement which entails security arrangements and screening and graduation of forces.

 “Forces of Riek have been launching attacks on our position in Magenis but we have a right to defend ourselves. Nowadays, they are quiet but they have been making announcements of launching another attack. We have never taken any step in attacking them,” said Olony.

This group parted ways with SPLA-IO of Dr Riek Machar in August on the ground of waging pressure on President Kiir and Dr Machar to expedite the implementation of the security arrangements.

“When we announced the Kit-Gwang Declaration, the intention was not against anyone but we declared ourselves so that the people could understand us and tell the public that the implementation of the peace agreement is not going on well,” said Johnson Olony.

In October, the SPLM/A-IO dismissed that SPLM/A-IO Director of Information said that the Kit Gwang faction was no longer part of the SPM/A-IO Political Bureau and Military council.

The faction later expressed their desire to turn up for peace talks with to only leave the negotiation room and impose preconditions thus demanding top positions held by SPLM/A-IO including the post of the First Vice President, the Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs and other top government positions.

Earlier reports in August show Johnson Olony claiming that he had reached an agreement with the R-TGoNU government on telephone conversation, a report which later did not materialise.