By William Madouk Garang
The SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang splinter group under Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual on Tuesday issued an order sacking Gen. Johnson Olony Thubo as his deputy and appointed Henry Odwar, as his new deputy.
In the reshuffling letter, Gen Gatwech, also relieved ex-minister of mining Henry Odwar from the position of the head of SPLA-IO Kitgwang political Bureau effective from August 7, 2022.
In June, Gen. Olony’s allies claimed that they had dismissed Gatwech and replaced him with Olony, a claim which Olony denied citing he was still receiving orders from Gatwech.
Gen. Gatwech many times refuted the allegation that Olony replaced him, but fighting between Olony and Gatwech’s forces raised doubts over the relationship between the two rebel commanders with Gatwech accusing the government of President Kiir of setting Olony up against him.
However in July, a high-level gathering of Gatwech and his political allies resolved to remove Olony and name a new deputy to Gatwech.
In a statement seen by No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, Gatwech appointed Odwar as the new deputy chairperson and commander in chief of the SPLM/SPLA (IO) Kitgwang faction with effect from today (Tuesday), sidelining Gen. Olony of the Agwelek forces.
“Reference to resolutions of SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang three days’ leadership consultative Conference dated 16-18 July 2022, and based on the structural document of the SPLM/A (IO),
“I., 1st Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual the Interim Chairman and Commander In Chief of SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang do hereby appoint Hon. Henry Dilah Odwar to the position of Deputy Chairman of SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang effective 9, August, 2022,” he said.
In a separate statement the leader of Kitgwang faction also relieved the newly appointed deputy Odwar from his previous position of the head of SPLA-IO Kitgwang political Bureau.
“I, 1st Gen Simon Gatwech Dual, interim chairman and commander in chief of SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang do hereby relief Hon. Henry Dilah Odwar from the position of the head of political Bureau of SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang effective 07, August, 2022,” read parts of other statement.