General Simon Gatwech Dual | File picture Courtesy

General Simon Gatwech Dual, who has proclaimed himself the new interim leader of the SPLM/A-IO, has expressed his commitment to the revitalized peace deal.

On Tuesday, 1^st Lt.-Gen. Gatwech, through a spokesman, announced the dismissal of Dr. Riek Machar from the leadership of the main peace party on Tuesday.

A three-day conference of field commanders he chaired was organized in Meganis at the border with Sudan three days ago.

Among the resolutions passed is to take over the political and military leadership of the SPLM-IO from Dr. Machar.

It also dissolved the SPLM-IO Political Bureau and the National Liberation Council.

The conference recalled all politicians in Juba and military officers assigned to the various peace mechanisms to immediately report to Kit-guang, Meganis, for further consultations.

The military commanders, however, recommitted themselves to the revitalized peace deal being implemented by the transitional government.

The conference affirmed it would work towards achieving justice, peace, and stability in South Sudan through the 2018 peace deal.

According to the group spokesperson, Brig.-Gen. William Gatjiath, his boss has no intentions of resorting to violence but joining the peace implementation as the new interim leader of the SPLM/A-IO.

“The people of South Sudan need peace, and as long as they need peace, we are ready to continue with the peace agreement,” he told Eye Radio.

Gen. Gatwech castigated Dr. Riek Machar for not pushing for the full implementation of the security arrangement, especially the training, graduation and deployment of the unified forces.

He believes the unified forces is an essential part of the peace deal that will prevent the repetition of 2016 violence.

The conference of field commanders convened by Gen. Gatwech Dual called for grassroots conventions of all SPLM-IO members and sympathizers.

It appealed to all former SPLM-IO members who refused to be part of the new government by forming new factions to return to the party under Gen. Gatwech.

The conference further seconded Gen. Gatwech to take over the role of First Vice President of South Sudan under the revitalized peace deal.

The group accused Dr. Riek Machar of nepotism, dictatorship, loss of vision, abandoning and ignoring the plight of SPLA-IO soldiers at the cantonment sites, and self-centered politics.

Gen. Gatwech Dual was relieved by Dr. Riek Machar on June 22, 2021.

He was then appointed by President Salva Kiir as Peace Advisor to the Presidency.

But in an interview with Eye Radio in June, Gen. Gatwech turned down the offer, describing the appointment as an attempt to lure him to come to Juba.

He argues that such positions do not exist in the revitalized peace deal.

Gatwech further said he won’t be coming to Juba to take up his new role unless the unified forces are graduated and deployed.

He further claimed that no one consulted him over the appointment, although Dr. Machar’s office insisted that the appointment was made with the “full knowledge and consent” of Gen. Gatwech.