Gatjiath dumps Gatwech’s Kit Gwang for SSPDF
The former spokesperson of the Kit Gwang Declaration, William Gatjiath, has decamped to the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF).
The Spokesperson of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), Maj Gen. Lul Ruai Koang said he heard about the defection but his office had not yet been officially notified about it.
Lul stated that he would be patient until he received official communication so that he could make a definitive statement.
“I won’t be in a position to confirm it because my office has not been officially notified.” I have been hearing since Friday that he defected, but of course, declaring it is one thing, but being officially notified through our chain of command and channel of communication is different,” Maj. Gen Lul said.
“I would like to wait until my office is officially notified, and he will be the one to give the reason for his defection. I heard that he arrived in Juba on Friday, and then he declared his defection on Saturday, which was yesterday afternoon at around 2 pm,’’ the SSPDF boss said, adding it would be a matter of a day or two to give official communication.
Gatjiath was among the Kit Gwang delegation that headed to Khartoum for peace talks with the government.
According to Kit Gwang Spokesperson, James Kalany Mamuon, Gatjiath defected alongside Gen Gattiek Diar.
Reports from the Kit Gwang faction show that the two generals had expressed a change in behaviour, indicating an anticipated jump ship. Kalany stated that Gatjiath and Diar left Khartoum for Juba without their consent.
“The leadership of SPLM/A-IO Kit-Gwang would like to inform its members and the public that it confirms the desertion of the abovementioned generals, who happened to have left Khartoum for Juba today, Friday, January 14th, 2022”, read the statement.
Kalany said the decisions of the two officers would not affect the mission and vision of their movement.
“Due to their desertion, we urge our former military spokesman to hand over the documents and the stamps, since he is no longer our military mouthpiece”.
Decision hailed
The Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Edmund Yakani, yesterday said the SSPDF had confirmed to them the defection of the two Kit Gwang generals and appreciated the move, saying that peace was the best means for “any political elite.”
“Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation views the culture of defection among the political establishment in the country as a tactic of dragging feet for timing the transition of the country from violence to peace,” Yakani said in a statement.
“It is essential for political elites to know that the country is tired of violence. Giving peace chance is the only decisive option for any political elite.”
He emphasised that armed conflict must be avoided due to its high costs and consequences, and that dialogue was the best way to resolve disagreements.
He appealed to the government to give dialogue an upper hand as the proper tool to settle instability existent in the country.
“It is time now for our parliamentarians to take the effective role to utilise the good aspiration enshrined in R-ARCSS for transitioning the country from culture of armed struggle for a political settlement of difference to culture of dialogue for seeking a concrete political solution to the political instability the country is facing,” he articulated.
“The ball for scoring the transition of South Sudan from violence to peace is now in the hands of our parliamentarians through the genuine implementation of the provisions of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan.”
The CEPO Executive Director appealed to members of parliament to make strides towards peace.
Strides to cease hostilities
The government and the Kit Gwang faction of SPLM/A-IO held a face-to-face meeting in Khartoum on Tuesday last week, the second meeting since the group declared the ouster against Dr. Riek Machar as the chairperson of SPLM/A-IO six months ago.
On Saturday, the two groups agreed to sign an agreement which would include granting of amnesty to the Kit Gwang forces, total ceasefire, total cessation of hostilities, cantoning and training; and reintegration of the SPLM/A-IO Kit Gwang forces into SSPDF among others.
This was the same day Gatjiath and Diar rented the air with the news of their defection to the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF).
However, the extent of the agreement that was signed yesterday is yet to be studied to find out what they agreed upon and whether it would not contradict the 2018 peace accord and its sharing ratio to return impasse to the country’s political arena.
