The SPLA-IO allied to Vice President Dr. Riek Machar has rubbished claims that they lost one of their senior military officers at the rank of General during clashes with the breakaway faction led by Gen. Simon Gatwich Dual on 26 December in the Magenis area of Upper Nile State.
SPLA-IO spokesman, Colonel Lam Paul Gabriel told Radio Tamazuj Monday that they lost no military general and that the clash was between patrols of the two belligerent forces.
Earlier on Boxing Day, Gen. Gatwich’s military spokesperson, Brigadier William Gatjiath Deng said in a statement to the media that their forces came under attack and killed a General allied to Dr. Machar whom he did not name during the clashes. A claim Col. Lam refuted.
“The truth has to be told. I am sure a General of ours could not be present in the place where the clashes took place; it was in their (Kit Gwang) area. So, we do not have any General who was killed,” Col. Lam said. “Those clashes started when our patrol team met with theirs and clashed and we repulsed them back to their bases in Magenis.”
He added: “This (Monday) morning they sent reinforcements to attack our positions so our forces are on standby.”
Col. Lam said their forces are in barracks and or cantonment sites and are for peace and urged the Kit Gwang faction to embrace peace.
“My message is that all citizens of South Sudan want peace. All our forces are in their barracks and or cantonment sites. If the Kit Gwang people want power, they should not try to get it by force,” Col. Lam said. “They cannot change Dr. Riek Machar by force because that matter was settled in the peace agreement. And even if they wanted, they only have a presence in Magenis but the SPLM-IO of Dr. Machar is all over South Sudan. So, even if they wanted to fight and we moved all our forces against them, they would lose. So, let us unite as South Sudanese and bring peace for our citizens.