By Charles K Mark
Secretary General of South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) has refuted the Sudan Post report of 120 soldiers and 24 officers defecting to SPLM-IO Kit-Gwang led by General Simon Gatwech Dual.
Wany Bum Makhor said that SSOA under the command of Denay Jock Chagor in Jonglei State witnessed no defections in Akobo County, as falsely reported.
According to Makhor, the claims were purported by a few frustrated and long-abandoned soldiers affiliated to SPLM-IO under Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny.
“The alleged Brig. Gen. Moses Mayen, who claimed to have left SSOA with 120 soldiers and 24 officers for Kit-Gwang, is not in the ranks and files of South Sudan Opposition Alliance,” Wany clarified.
He maintained that all soldiers under SSOA are in their Cantonment sites in Akobo County as well as in Uror and Nyirol, respectively.
The S.G. praised SSOA’s troops in Akobo County and in Jonglei State at large as patriotic sons and daughters with an intimate knowledge of the numerous challenges facing the country.
“Besides our chairman, who doubles as Governor of Jongle State, H. E. Denay Jock Chagor had contributed immensely in negotiation and subsequently appended his signature to the current peace agreement that was re-titled as a road map,” he said
Makhor claimed that the governor instilled unmatched leadership traits and resilience in the soldiers.
“Our soldiers are in close contact with our operation commanders and are not frustrated, as reported,” He rubbished the report.
The S.G. urged the citizens and SSOA partners to disregard what he called ‘the concocted reports’ manufactured by antagonists of peace and stability.
The published report by the Sudan Post alleged that about 45 commanders and approximately 120 soldiers who are said to have announced their departure from the group
The defectors are reported to have converted and pledged allegiance to the SPLA-IO’s Kitgwang faction led by General Simon Gatwech Dual in Jonglei State.
Brig. Gen. Moses Mayen, a senior SSOA commander stationed in Akobo, shared the online news agency about the motives behind their defection in an interview on with Sudan Post on Friday.
He reportedly expressed frustration with President Salva Kiir’s perceived lack of commitment to integrating opposition forces, a key aspect of the peace agreement signed in 2018.
“Since the signing of the peace agreement in 2018, we have been in this place hoping that President Kiir will respect what he signed in Addis Ababa. But several years have passed, and the integration process is very complicated,” Gen. Mayen was quoted as saying.
He emphasized the skepticism surrounding the implementation of the peace agreement, highlighting the prevailing suspicion that anyone not aligned with the government is viewed as a militia member.