By Tereza Jeremiah Chuei
The SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang faction under Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual is calling on the IGAD, and Sudan government to push the government of South Sudan to implement the Khartoum peace Agreement in letter and spirit.
In January 2021, South Sudan government and a splinter faction of the armed opposition movement (SPLA-IO) Kitgwang signed a peace deal to end the conflict in Upper Nile State.
The agreement was inked barely a week after peace talks between the South Sudanese security delegation led by Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs, Tut Gatluak and a delegation of the SPLA/IO-Kitgwang faction led by General Simon Gatwech Dual resumed in Khartoum, Sudan.
There were two separate agreements in the Khartoum deal, which are the Kitgwang and the Agwelek Agreements signed separately with the SPLM-IG. Kitgwang binds Gen. Gatwech and Olony while the Agwelek Agreement solely belongs to Gen. Johnson Olony.
The Khartoum peace agreement between the South Sudan government (SPLM-IG) and Agwelek forces came into effect on January 16, 2022.
But on the contrary currently the Kitgwang has divided itself into two, after some series of disagreement between themselves.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, the Spokesperson for Kitgwang under Gen. Gatwech, Alfred Gach Thot called on the International Communities to intervene and push the government to implement the Khartoum Agreement in letter and spirit.
“Yes, we are calling on the International community to put pressure on the government (South Sudan) so that they can implement the Khartoum Agreement in letter and spirit,” Gach appealed.
Meanwhile, a representative of Kitgwang faction under Gatwech in Egypt and Middle East, Nicola Atou Nyibong also added his voice by calling on the Sudan government plus the International Community to intervene into the current conflicts for the safety of the civilians.
He urged the United States of America (USA) government and the UN to push the government to abide by the Agreement that they signed with the armed opposition.