Days after signing the Khartoum Agreement with the government, Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, the leader of the Sudan People Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A) Kitgwang faction has returned to Magenis in Upper Nile.

Gatwech, according to James Kalany Mamuon, Press Secretary in the Office of the Interim Chairman of the SPLM-IO Kitgwang, returned to disseminate information on the content of the agreement signed in Khartoum.

“Reference to the above subject, the Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLM/SPLA (IO) Kitgwang 1^st Lt Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual and his accompanying delegation, comprising of senior military officers, left Khartoum this [Saturday] morning for Kitgwang/Magenis South Sudan, the SPLM/SPLA-(IO) General Headquarters,” s statement read.

It added that “Gen. Gatwech has been in Khartoum recently to sign peace with the Government of South Sudan, and his to Kitgwang/Magenis was to go and preach the content of the document of the peace agreement to the forces on the ground.”

Mr Kalany said the SPLM-IO under Mr Gatwech is committed to the implementation of the Khartoum peace agreement “in letter and spirit as the sole way to attain peace in South Sudan”.

Since the signing of the Khartoum agreement between the government and the Kitgwang faction, none of the leaders involved in the agreement from Magenis did step a foot in the capital Juba as silence lingers around Johnson Olony’s advance team who touched down weeks ago.

On January 16, the government and the SPLM-IO Kitgwang reached an agreement that covers land, military, and political issues.

Gen. Akol Koor Kuc, the Internal Security Bureau, signed on behalf of the government and Gen. Johnson Olony, Chairman of Agwelek Forces signed on behalf of the Kit Gwang faction.

The signing was witnessed by Tut Gatluak, Presidential Advisor on National Security, John Opec Akokjak, Editor, Community leader, and Victoria Arop Odhong, the Women Representative.  

According to the agreement, the parties also agreed to integrate the Agwelek forces into the SSPDF, and in the meantime, Agwelek forces shall remain independent respect ceasefire, and the government to grant them amnesty within a week.

They also agreed on the allocation of political positions to the Agwelek forces with details to be negotiated, and the maintaining of the community boundary in accordance with the 1/1/1956, among other agreements.