The renewed clashes pitting the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) against its breakaway faction Kit-Gwang has degenerated into a drama of blame as the two sides accuse each other of initiating the violence.
Speaking to The City Review yesterday, SPLA-IO Spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel said the opposition outfight was not spoiling for any fight and was ready to halt the offensive if the Kit-Gwang side, led by Gen. Simon Gatwech, did the same in reciprocity.
“I believe there is a war which has already been declared, and it is up to them to decide whether they want to continue with it or stop it,” he said.
Col Lam insisted that Dr Machar’s faction had come under attack in Magenis, Upper Nile and that their response was in self-defence.
“We are the ones being attacked here. We were not attacking; we were the ones being attacked. So when you are being aggressed, what do you do? You continue defending yourself,” he said.
“We can’t do anything apart from defending ourselves.”
SPLA-IO’s protest comes days after the fight broke out and the Kit-Gwang faction blamed the forces loyal to the First Vic President Dr Riek Machar for being the aggressors.
“What happened is that we were attacked in the morning of December 25, 2021, in areas bordering us with Dr Riek’s forces around Magenis and they tried to enter Magenis, but we repulsed them,’’ said Chol Deng Thoan, deputy spokesperson of the SPLA IO Gatweech faction as he issued a statement on December 26
“Intense opponents attacked us, they expelled our forces in all areas outside Magenis,’’ he added. “The attack was violent using heavy weapons, but our forces managed to defend themselves violently and repelled the attack.”
Although Thoan did not disclose the number of deaths they recorded amongst their troops; he maintained that his side inflicted a lot of damage with casualties on their opponents.
He said, “During the attack, the enemy lost a number of senior generals. We will not mention names as they lost a number of soldiers,” he said
He maintained that their action was purely a self-defence mechanism.
“We are in a defensive position on our bases. The enemy continues to attack us. We do not know the exact reasons behind this and their agenda is not clear.”
Dr Machar’s faction denied the loss of generals in the clashes.
According to Lam, the Gatwech’s forces attacked their military base in Amoud, and they suffered some losses, prompting them to leave the area.
“Our forces decided to withdraw to a nearby area and as for now we know that the critical elements are in the Amoud area,” he said.
“More than 10 from the SPLA-IO were confirmed (killed) with three senior officers at the rank of colonel downwards. I know people have reported that [they are] generals, no, we never lost any general,” he clarified.
He claimed that tensions are building in the northern Upper Nile State and that Gatwech’s side is planning more attacks.
“At the moment tension is very high because they want to get out and attack our base in a clear declaration of war, which I believe at the moment South Sudanese want peace.”
“We are trying to make sure that we continue with the implementation of the peace agreement.”
When asked how the rising tension can be relieved, he answered that the Kit-Gwang faction has born the responsibility for that.
Differences
First Vice President Riek Machar and his former Chief of General Staff Gen. Simon Gatwech have been having bad blood since the latter declared himself the interim chairman and commander in chief of the SPLM/A-IO in August.
Gatwech claimed he took action as a result of “long irritation” with Machar’s leadership style and the failure of the implementation of the peace agreement’s security mechanisms.