At least two army generals allied to SPLA-IO Kit Gwang under the leadership of Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual were killed in a military offensive yesterday.
SPLA-IO Spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel (pictured) told the City Review that another general was also wounded during armed confrontations around Magenis County of Upper Nile State in Monday’s morning fight.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“They have been attacking our bases and it proceeded till Sunday. This morning we couldn’t hold back anymore. So, at around 6 am, the SPLA-IO forces launched attacks on their launching areas….There are two Major Generals from their side who got killed, and one wounded,” said Lam.
He said the fight was a result of the continued attack on the SPLA-IO forces by Gen. Gatwech’s forces, adding that the group started attacking them on Friday last week.
Mr. Lam claimed that SPLA-IO forces loyal to Dr. Riek Machar were in full control of Gezan and Khorjalla that belonged to Gen. Gatwech’s Kit Gwang faction before Monday’s fight.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});However, Gen. Gatwech’s Kitgwang faction dismissed SPLA-IO’s claim of victory as false, accusing Dr. Machar’s forces of attacking their bases in Magenis.
“As I am talking to you now, (SPLA-IO) forces are being defeated. The fighting is still going on because they are being pursued,” Brig. Gen. William Gatjiath, SPLM-IO Kit Gwang faction was quoted by Sudans Post to have said.
“The propaganda that a senior SPLA-IO general has been killed from our side, and the propaganda that they have captured the town is false,” Gatjiath added.
Gen. Gatwech declared an ouster of Dr. Riek Machar in August as the chairman and commander-in-chief of the SPLA-IO and claimed the leadership of the movement.
On August 7, forces loyal to Mr. Gatwech, a former SPLM-IO Chief Staff, and Dr. Machar’s forces engaged in deadly clashes that threatened the stability of the entire country.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});On August 9, the IGAD Council of Ministers convened an extraordinary meeting to discuss the solution to the wrangles between rival leaders in a bid to defuse the situation.