The SPLA-in-Opposition Chief of Staff has arrived in Gambella by road ahead of planned travel by air onward to Juba, according to the SPLA-IO Deputy Spokesman Dickson Gatluak.

A delay in the arrival of Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual to Juba was related to the delay in the arrival of SPLA-IO Chairman Riek Machar, sources told Radio Tamazuj on Monday.

The general was scheduled to travel by land from the SPLA-IO Pagak headquarters to Gambella and then depart to Juba ahead of Machar on a separate flight.

Dickson said in a statement late Monday that a convoy carrying the general “arrived finally in Gambella after a long clearance of weapons on transit at Ethiopian border.”

“Clearance of weapons and landing permit for the plane from the border town of Gambella in Ethiopia take time and cause delay for the top management of SPLM/A-IO to travel to Juba as planned,” he explained.

“However, the chief of general staff who overnight in Gambella will be boarding tomorrow morning to Juba ahead of Dr Machar without any delay.”