Kitgwang Declaration

The Kitgwang Declaration was a coup by South Sudanese rebel commander Simon Gatwech Dual on August 4, 2021, in which he replaced First Vice President Riek Machar as leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition leading to a deadly rebel fighting [1] Since 2014, Gatwech has been the military chief of staff of the SPLM/SPLA (IO) and has grown hostile against Machar since the signing of the revitalized peace agreement in 2018.[2]

Kitgwang Declaration
LeadersSimon Gatwech Dual
John Uliny
Thomas Mabor Dhol
Dates of operation04 August 2021 - Present
HeadquartersKitgwang, Magenis, South Sudan
Active regionsSouth Sudan
IdeologyAnti-government
Battles and warsSouth Sudanese Civil War

Background

Since the return of Machar to Juba from exile to form a unity government with President Salva Kiir Mayardit in February 2020, Dual has been speaking out against his boss for 'compromising' key provisions of the revitalized peace agreement signed in 2018 such as the security arrangements in which rival forces of the opposition and the government were to be unified to form a professional national army.[3][4]

In October 2020, Gatwech wrote to the IGAD, the regional bloc which mediated the peace agreement that ended the war with Machar's appointment as first vice president in February 2020, asking for Machar's release in order to enable him to and brief his forces over the implementation of the peace agreement.[5][6]

The IGAD later on issued a statement saying there were no restrictions in place against Machar and that the South Sudanese vice president was free to visit anywhere of his choice.[7] A few days later, Gatwech accused Machar of intentionally refusing to visit him and in June, an attempt to remove the opposition's military intelligence chief, Dhiling Keah Chuol, by Gatwech let to a rumored removal of Gatwech as chief of staff.[8]

Days later, President Kiir appointed Gatwech as presidential envoy on peace after nomination by Machar.[9] Machar's office later on announced that Gatwech had been replaced as chief of staff of the opposition military deepening the disagreements within the group.[10][11]

The Declaration

On August 4, 2021, Gatwech issued a communiqué following a meeting of opposition commanders at Kitgwang in Magenis, a northern-most town bordering Sudan, declaring that Machar had been removed as the leader of the SPLM-IO and that he has assumed power as the new opposition leader.[12][13]

Machar responded with another communiqué following a meeting of the SPLM-IO Political Bureau in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, and then accused unnamed "peace spoilers" of engineering the opposition split.[14][15]

Resulting fighting

On August 7, forces from the Tiger Battalion allied to Machar launched an attack on Gatwech's position in Magenis sparking fierce fighting that resulted in the killing of at least 28 soldiers from both sides. There were also unconfirmed reports of the killing of two senior SPLA-IO commanders allied to Machar.[16][17]

References
  1. "Deadly fighting erupts between South Sudan party's rival factions". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  2. "SPLA-IO chief General Gatwech Dual tells IGAD peace deal is 'dead', threatens to redeploy forces". Sudans Post. 2020-09-19. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  3. "South Sudan Leader Appoints Ex-Rebel Leader as His Deputy". The New York Times. Associated Press. 2020-02-22. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  4. "South Sudan rivals Salva Kiir and Riek Machar strike unity deal". BBC News. 2020-02-22. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  5. "SPLA-IO military chief renews call for IGAD to allow Machar visit him". Sudans Post. 2020-10-18. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  6. "IGAD still 'silent' on our request for Machar to visit forces – SPLA-O". Sudans Post. 2020-10-04. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  7. Mutambo, Aggrey (2020-12-21). "South Sudan: IGAD Lifts Travel Restrictions Against Riek Machar". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  8. "Gatwech no longer SPLA-IO Chief of Staff -Machar". Eye Radio. 2021-06-28. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  9. "BREAKING | General Gatwech Dual appointed presidential advisor". Sudans Post. 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  10. "'General Gatwech Dual is no longer chief of staff' – Machar's office". Sudans Post. 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  11. "BREAKING | SPLA-IO military chief rejects appointment as presidential advisor". Sudans Post. 2021-06-22. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  12. says, Hon Thor Jok (2021-08-03). "General Gatwech removes Machar, declares himself interim SPLM-IO chairman". Sudans Post. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  13. "South Sudan's VP Machar ousted as party head, says military wing". Reuters. 2021-08-04. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  14. "3 Generals Fired in South Sudan for Declaring Machar Is Not Party Leader | Voice of America - English". www.voanews.com. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  15. "South Sudan's Machar says 'peace spoilers' backed his removal as party leader". Reuters. 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  16. "Deadly Fighting Erupts Between Rival Factions of South Sudan VP Machar's Party | Voice of America - English". www.voanews.com. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  17. says, Samuel Ohitai (2021-08-07). "BREAKING | 2 SPLA-IO commanders allied to Machar killed during Magenis fighting". Sudans Post. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
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