First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar who also doubles as the chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLM/SPLA-IO on Monday sent a flash military message to all his units informing them that the breakaway SPLA-IO Kit Gwang faction led by Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual had effectively joined the SPLM in Government and the SSPDF.
This comes after the signing of two agreements in Khartoum on 16 January between the Kit Gwang group and Agwelek forces on one hand and the SPLM-IG and SSPDF on the other.
Dr. Machar who signed off the all unit message by his military moniker, Sennar, also ordered his forces to observe a ceasefire.
“The Kit Gwang group has signed on January 16, 2022, in Khartoum, a defection agreement to SSPDF and SPLM-IG called “Khartoum Peace Agreement”, the agreement is written in two documents namely: 1. Agreement between the Sudan Peoples’ Movement in Government (SPLM-IG) and the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement/Army-in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) Kit Gwang on status of forces; and 2. Khartoum Peace Agreement (KPA) between the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement-in Government and Agwelek Forces,” Dr. Machar wrote.
He added; “I am transmitting the two documents to you. You can access hard copies of the two documents in the social media.”
The SPLM/A-IO chief said the agreement implied that the Kit Gwang group ad joined SSPDF and SPLM-IG and as such his forces should disengage and stop fighting them.
“By this agreement, Kit Gwang has joined SSPDF and SPLM-IG, and forces of Kit Gwang group are now part of SSPDF,” Dr. Machar’s message read. “As such, SPLM/SPLA-IO forces are to disengage and ceasefire with Kit Gwang forces, just like the currently existing ceasefire between the SPLM/SPLA (IO) and the SSPDF as per the Khartoum Declaration of Agreement of 27 June 2018 which came into effect on 1 July 2018.”
He also ordered his forces to secure navigation on the White Nile.
For his part, Puok Both Baluang, the SPLM-IO director of information and acting spokesman for first vice president, confirmed Dr. Machar’s message to all his SPLA-IO units and said they remain committed to implementing the revitalized peace agreement.
“This is an internal communication to our forces after the Kit Gwang group signed an agreement to join the SPLM-IG and SSPDF last Sunday in Khartoum,” Both said.