Olony to jet in Juba ‘any time’
The leader of Agwelek forces, Gen. Johnson Olony, is expected to arrive in Juba soon for the implementation of the Khartoum Peace Agreement.
Olony’s deputy, Gen. Paul Achut Nyibek, who headed an advance team to Juba on Thursday, confirmed that his boss, who has never stepped foot in Juba since 2015, will soon come to actualise the peace agreement.
“We are [in Juba] for the implementation of the agreement that we have signed. We are serious about this; the agreement has to be implemented. That is why we are here, ” Achut said.
“Upper Nile State has suffered enough [and] all its citizens are scattered, and we, the sons and daughters of Upper Nile State, have resolved that enough is enough; we don’t want more war,” he added.
“This country cannot take any more war. We are to agree that enough is enough. We have killed ourselves enough so when peace comes, nobody can stop it and this is what is happening now. We came here today. Olony will be here tomorrow, ” Achut added.
Gen. Johnson Olony and Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, who abandoned Dr Riek Machar’s mainstream SPLM/A-IO and declared themselves leaders of the organization in August last year, have not been in Juba since then.
Even before their split, Gen. Olony who fell out with President Kiir in 2015, refused to take part in the ongoing implementation of the 2018 revitalised peace agreement.
Though he did not make public the reason, the creation of 32 states that divided Chollo land into two was rumoured to be Olony’s main concern, which according to him was not even addressed by reverting the country to 10 states.
This was highlighted in the recent deal the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Government (SPLM-IG) signed with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) Kit-Gwang faction on Sunday in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.
According to the agreement, it was in two parts, where one bore the signatures of Gen Akol Koor Kuc, the Internal Security Bureau on behalf of the government, and Gen. Olony on behalf of Agwelek Forces. This talked about the land issue.
The SPLM-IG – Agwelek agreement stipulated that the Chollo land shall be reinstated as of 1/1/1956 boundaries, which was the main root cause of the conflict in Upper Nile State and that all the individuals’ immovable assets to be returned to the rightful owners.
Other parts that also greatly contributed to the return of Olony stated that Agwelek forces would be disengaged immediately and peacefully, and be integrated into the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF).
Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), expressed concern about Olony’s positive reaction to President Kiir’s recent amnesty for the Kit-Gwang splinter group.
”The fate of the recent Khartoum peace treaties between Kit-Gwang and the SPLM-IG, Agwelek, and the SSDPF is heavily influenced by Gen. Johnson Olony’s political shift. This refers to the level of trust and confidence Gen. Olony has for partnering with SPLM-IG, ” Mr Yakani said on Wednesday.
According to the AgweleK advance team, Olony’s coming will precede Gen Gatwech’s, who is also expected to respond to Kiir’s pardon.
