Changson dismisses Gathoth Gatkuoth as FDP group splits over advance team to Juba

January 4, 2016 (NAIROBI) – The top political leader of a new organization of defectors, Gabriel Changson Chang, has dismissed one of his top military generals, Gathoth Gatkuoth Hothnyang, for sending an advance team to Juba without authorization from the leadership of the new faction known as the Federal Democratic Party/South Sudan Armed Forces (FDP/SSAF).

In press release on Monday after the departure of 24 members of FDP/SAFF to Juba led by former national member of parliament, Gabriel Yoal Dok, the top leadership of the new faction immediately issued a statement dismissing all the members of the advance team from FDP/SAFF membership including their leader Gathoth Gatkuoth who signed a communiqué with the government without the knowledge of his leadership.

“The advance team dispatched to Juba today on the 04th January 2016 was not approved neither by the Chairman of the Military Command Council of FDP/SSAF Gen. Peter Gatdet Yak nor by the Chairman of Provisional Political Committee, Hon. Gabriel Changson Chang,” partly reads the statement signed by Changson and extended to Sudan Tribune on Monday.

In a communiqué signed on Monday between General Gathoth Gatkuoth Hothnyang on behalf of FDP/SAFF and Maj General Paul Nang Majok on behalf of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan (GRSS), the two leaders authorized the sending of the advance team to Juba to negotiate with the government inside the capital and report back to the leadership in Nairobi, Kenya. Gathoth has remained in Nairobi to be waiting for the reports on progress in Juba.

“In the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 25 December 2015 between the GRSS and the Federal Democratic Party/South Sudan Armed Forces (FDP/SSAF) in Nairobi Kenya in which the parties made commitment to peace and resolved the FDP/SSAF shall send a delegation to Juba in order to present their position to the President of the Republic of South Sudan H.E. Gen Salva Kiir Mayardit, and the delegation will return to Nairobi and brief the FDP/SSAF leadership;…The FDP/SSAF delegation of twenty four (24) comprising of politicians and senior officers shall leave for Juba Monday January 4, 2016. Hon Gabriel Yoal Dok of FDP/SSAF will lead the delegation to Juba, South Sudan,” reads the communiqué signed by Gathoth Gatkuoth on Sunday.

In reaction on Monday, the chairman of FDP/SSAF, Gabriel Changson Chang, said the leadership did not approve the sending of the advance team to Juba, dismissing all the leaders and members involved in the process from the membership of his faction which split in August from the mother faction of the armed opposition of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM/SPLA-IO) led by former vice-president, Riek Machar.

In his Monday’s response which he enumerated into points, Changson said the leadership disassociated itself from the advance team that went to Juba on Monday.

“1) The FDP/SSAF leadership strongly disassociated itself from the notion of sending any advance team to Juba before reaching an agreement with GRSS. 2) The FDP/SSAF forthwith disowns all those persons who are in the advance team and cease to enjoy any membership in the FDP/SSAF right. 3) Whoever authorizes the advance team to go to Juba is also disowned because he did it without the approval of the leadership (we refer to Joint Communiqué between the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and the Federal Democratic Party/South Sudan Armed Forces (FDP/SSAF)) signed on 04th January 2016,” he said.

Changson called on the government not to recognize the “so-called advance team” as part of the FDP/SSAF, saying his leadership is committed to peace and will negotiate with the government.

He also called on his forces and supporters world-wide to remain calm and wait for a genuine peace talks, adding that he made the decision after an extensive consultations with his supporters.

The recent development within the new group, which is not yet seen by many to have commanded a sizeable support, is set to further split into tiny splinter groups.

The non-inclusion of the two top political and military leaders, Changson and General Gatdet, raises questions whether the advance team of General Gathoth Gatkuoth will bring to an end the initial grievances of the group, which included removal of president Salva Kiir from the presidency as a top demand.

Gathoth, former deputy chief of general staff for logistics in the SPLM-IO earlier said he defected in protest of a pending peace agreement between his former boss, Machar, and the government which sought to maintain president Kiir as top executive of the country for 30 months of transitional period.

He accused the president of allegedly massacring tens of thousands of members of the Nuer ethnic group in the capital, Juba, and called for his unconditional resignation.

(ST)