Clashes have erupted between Machar’s SPLA-IO and SPLA-IO Kit-Gwang Faction led by General Johnson Olony in Tonga of Panyikang County on Sunday, a local official said.
Panyikang County is located in Upper Nile State. It borders Malakal County to the north-east and Baliet County to the east. It also borders Pariang to the west, Jonglei State (Fangak and Pigi counties) to the south, and Sudan to the north.
Panyikang County Commissioner Mustafa Gai told Radio Tamazuj this morning that the clashes between the two forces erupted on Sunday at 10 p.m. “The attack resulted in the killing of a soldier from Machar’s forces and another soldier from Olony’s forces and the wounding of a civilian,” Mustafa said.
“The forces that attacked the area of Tonga moved from Doleib Hill, east of the town of Tonga, and they were under the command of General Mabour Dhol, one of the SPLA-IO Kit-Gwang Faction,” he added.
Mustafa continued, “The forces deployed in the Panyikang county headquarters are SPLA-IO forces led by First Vice President Riek Machar. I am the county commissioner from the National Democratic Movement (NDM). We don’t know the reason for the attack, but those forces are stationed in Doleib Hill.”
The local official pointed out that he had informed the state governor about the attack, pointing out that the SPLA-IO forces in Tonga repulsed the attack, and the security situation returned to normal. “All parties signed the peace agreement, and Gen. Johnson Olony is in Juba. So there is no reason to attack because all of us are working for peace,” he added.
For its part, the press office of the SPLA-IO Kit-Gwang leader Gen. Johnson Olony denied reports that their forces launched an attack on the Tonga area on Sunday, describing the reports as mere propaganda.
“We want to inform everyone that such an allegation against the SPLA-IO Kit-Gwang that signed the Khartoum Peace Agreement on January 16, 2022, is baseless,” the statement read in part.
The SPLM-IO Kit-Gwang reiterated its commitment to the Khartoum Peace Agreement it signed with the government.
In January 2022, the SPLA-IO Kit-Gwang faction led by General Simon Gatwech signed a peace agreement with President Kiir’s government in Khartoum. The Agwelek forces led by General Olony also at the same time signed a separate agreement with the government. The Kit-Gwang faction, however, became disillusioned months after the signing of the peace deal and blamed the government for not implementing it.
Gatwech and Olony later fell out, and the former fired the latter as his deputy, and their forces clashed severally. Olony would later say he was for peace and willing to go to Juba.
Gen. Olony is currently in Juba after months of protracted negotiations with loyalists of President Salva Kiir. He returned to Juba on May 14, 2023.