By Tereza Jeremiah Chuei
The head of Agwelek Advance delegation in Juba, Paul Achot Achobek has allegedly declared his Commander Gen. Johnson Olony as the current Chairperson and Commander in Chief of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) Kit-Gwang faction, deputized by Gen. Thomas Mabor.
This comes as an overthrow of the proclaimed Chairman and Commander in Chief (C-I-C) of the SPLM/A-IO Kitgwang Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual who is also the signatory to the Khartoum Agreement under the umbrella of Kitwang signed with the SPLM-IG government wing.
However, Alfred Gach Thot, the Spokesperson of Kitgwang under Gen. Gatwech refuted the statement saying it’s a total allegation, adding that Gatwech is still the Chairman of Kit-gwang.
He further argued that Gen. Johnson Olony is not a qualified leader to manage Kit-gwang as the Chair, citing that Agwelek forces under Gen. Olony are purely Chollo (Shuluk) tribe unlike Kit-gwang forces under Gatwech which are represented by all the tribes all over the country except in Pibor Administrative Area and Bor of Jonglei State.
“What Johnson Olony said is a total false and Gatwech remains the Chairman of Kit-gwang” he refuted the claims.
Paul Achot told No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper yesterday, that Thomas Mabor and Gen. Jonson Olony decided to replace Gatwech as their Chairman after realizing how much he violated the agreement that he himself has signed.
“They (Johnson Olony and Thomas Mabor) have talked about it and Olony is the new Chairman now, deputized by Thomas Mabor, he (Gatwech) is out, he has been working against the Agreement that he had signed, so he has fallen out” Achot stated.
“For the last few months Gatwech has been doing his own stuff, without consulting the rest” he added.
According to Achot Gen. Olony has already taken charge of his duties as Chairman of Kit-gwang and is calling on the Khartoum Government to question Gen. Gatwech Dual.
“We the Kit-gwang and Agwelek Leadership call upon the Sudanese Mediation to question Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual who turned his back against the agreement he had signed and is now working tirelessly to abort it” read part of the press release issued by Gen. Olony as the new Chairman and C-in-C of Kitgwang.
The Kitgwang Agreement was signed in January 16th 2022, in Khartoum between Kit-Gwang, Agwelek and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Government (SPLM-IG).
The Agreement comprised three signatories and among them was Gen. Gatwech Dual the Chairman and his deputies Gen. Johnson Olony and Brigadier Thomas Mabor, however after some inside conflict and disagreement, Gen. Gatwech ditched Gen. Olony and replaced him with Henry Odwar, as his first deputy kicking Olony out of the Kitgwang’s top hierarchy.