The Genesis of Kitgwang Declaration and Return to SPLM-IG
- Nyabuoy Gatbel
- Jun 16, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 16, 2024
On June 21, 2021, SPLA-IO Chief of General Staff General Gatwech Dual was appointed by the president of the Republic of South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardiit as a presidential advisor through the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM IO) under the leadership of The First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan and the Chairman of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition. General Gatwech Dual was nominated for this position by his Chairman, Dr. Riek Machar. So it came as a complete surprise when he rejected the nomination and appointment on June 24, 2021, because according to him the government in Juba is delaying the implementation of the security arrangements, and this appointed position would serve as a tactic to delay the implementation of the security arrangements. Security arrangements are meant to graduate the various forces throughout the country and unite them to become national armies, national security, national police force, etc., to eliminate tribalism and build nationalism. General Gatwech Dual was given this position to speed up the implementation of the agreements signed in 2018.
On November 2, 2021, as a result of treason committed by General Gatwech Dual in August 2021 by creating the Kitgwang Declaration in opposition to his former party SPLM IO and his rejection of the presidential advisor position in June 2021, the chairman of SPLA/SPLM-IO Dr. Riek Machar revoked the nomination of General Simon Gatwech Dual to the role of presidential advisor for peace. The party distanced itself from him as he no longer works or represents the party. After the rejection of the position, General Gatwech Dual and General Johnson Olony Thabo formed the Kitgwang Declaration in August 2021 to replace Dr. Riek Machar as the chairman of the SPLA-IO and install General Gatwech Dual as the new chairman. The Kitgwang Declaration favours the leadership of President Salva Kiir Mayardiit and the SPLM-IG party. Since the formation of the Kitgwang Declaration in August 2021, their spokesman Brig. Gen. William Gatjiath Deng has urged South Sudanese people and leadership to accept the Kitgwang Declaration and their stance on not going to Juba unless security arrangements are implemented.
On January 16, 2022, in Khartoum, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Government (SPLM-IG) of President Salva Kiir was represented in the peace agreement signed by the Security Advisor to the president of South Sudan, Honorable Tut Kew Gatluak Manime. In attendance were General Simon Gatwech Dual interim chairman of Kitgwang Declaration and General Johson Olony Thubo deputy chairman of Kitgwang and chairman of Agwelek forces. The Kitgwang and Agwelek forces signed the peace agreement on that day. They agreed to the peace agreements and cessation of hostilities between the government of South Sudan and the dissident movements they have created and participated in.
In conclusion, the SPLM IO party has urged South Sudanese civilians and leadership that the Kitgwang declaration was not in good faith and that they were in favour of the government. Their existence is a delay tactic to delay the implementation of security arrangements. As a party, we have been doing our part to ensure we speed up the graduation of forces and complete the merging of forces, and security personnel and nationalize our police and security personnel per the R-ARCISS agreement signed in September 2018. We uphold our part of the agreements; we urge the government and other parties to respect the agreements to move this country forward eventually.
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