General Johnson Olony, deputy head of the SPLA-IO Kit-Gwang faction is denying reports of a split in their ranks. This came as some media outlets reported that Gen. Olony had split with Gatwech’s forces.

Gen. Simon Gatwech, head of the group, and Gen. Johnson Olony, commander of the Agwelek forces and deputy commander of the SPLA-IO Kit-Gwang faction, signed two separate agreements with President Salva Kiir’s faction in January 2022.

The agreement also guarantees the implementation of the security arrangements, a permanent ceasefire, grants the Kit-Gwang faction amnesty, and reintegration of the SPLA-IO Kit-Gwang forces into the national army within three months among others.

In an exclusive interview with Radio Tamazuj this morning, Gen. Olony dismissed media reports that his group has severed an alliance with Gen. Simon Gatwech, saying there is no split in the opposition movement.

 “Gen. Simon Gatwech is my leader and I am still receiving orders from him. We are working together, so the media reports that we are not together are not true,” he said.

When asked about the implementation of the peace agreement they signed with President Salva Kiir, Gen. Olony said: “The peace implementation is still in the hands of President Salva Kiir and the Sudanese leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Recently, I talked to Presidential Adviser Tut Gatluak and they gave us some cantonment areas in Upper Nile State.”

According to Gen. Olony, the implementation of the peace agreement is making progress although very slow.

“We need to be patient. We don’t want the country to go back to war, we need to support the peace process,” Gen. Olony said.

 “When we signed the two peace agreements earlier this year, we said one peace agreement is for the Agwelek and it focuses on the Shilluk land. The SPLM-IO Kit-Gwang peace agreement is for the whole country, so we shouldn’t mix between the two agreements,” he added.

The top general denied in strong terms the allegation made against their group and said that it is baseless and untrue. “Peace is important so that our citizens can return to their areas. We are still discussing the implementation of the peace agreement and President Kiir is still in charge of the implementation process,” Olony said.

General Olony also urged vice presidents to support President Kiir in the implementation of the peace agreement. He also appealed to the international community to support the peace process.