Sacked generals accused over “fraudulent” use of FDP/SSAF’s name
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
March 7, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Federal Democratic Party/South Sudan Armed Forces (FDP/SSAF) have accused a group of relieved generals and officers of fraudulently using the name of the opposition movement, which broke away from the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement-In-Opposition (SPLM/A-IO).
“The leadership of our organisation has noticed with great concern that a group of dismissed and defectors officers from the ranks of the FDP/SSAF movement are using the name of our organization purporting to members, in their press releases and presumably in communicating with third parties” Changson said.
Gatkuoth was one of Changson’s top military general but was dismissed from the FDP/SSAF movement on the 4th of January 2016 after he sent an advance team to Juba without authorization from the leadership of the new faction.
“Gen. Gathoth Gatkuoth and his colleagues should be creative enough to create an attractive name for their breakaway faction instead of illegally and fraudulently using the FDP/SSAF name which they broke away from” Changston added.
He urged all the third parties that may be doing business with the breakaway generals not to use the name of FDP/SSAF or risk facing the legal implications involved.
“We call upon our members in particular and general public at large not to believe in false claims that Gen. Peter Gatdet Yak, Gen. Gatwech Chan (Tang-Ginye), Brig. Gen. Chuol Gakah and Hon. Gabriel Changson Chang are members of his breakaway group and that they will follow them in Juba very soon. None of us is going to Juba”, said Changson.
The opposition leadership further urged and assured its members not to believe on the rumours allegedly being circulated in the media by Gen. Gathoth Gatkuoth about the health of the FDP/SSAF movement and the credibility of its leaders.
“Let us continue with our activities in furthering the objectives of our movement which the breakaway group has completely abandoned”.
Along with Gen. Gathoth Gatkuoth, the leadership of FDP/SSAF has also fired 24 members of the movement’s advance team.
They were all fired after leaving to Juba to negotiate with President Salva Kiir government without the approval of neither by the Chairman neither of the Military Command Council of FDP/SSAF Gen. Peter Gatdet Yak nor by the Chairman of Provisional Political Committee, Gabriel Changson Chang.
Changson then called on Juba government not to recognize the “so-called advance team” as part of the FDP/SSAF.
FDP/SSAF has also accused Gathoth Gatkuoth of signing a communiqué with the government without the knowledge of his Changson’s leadership.
Gathoth, was a former deputy chief of general staff for logistics in the SPLM-IO but defected to join FDP in protest to what he said was lack of commitment in striking peace accord between the two South Sudan rival leaders president Kiir and SPLM-IO leader, Riek Machar.
FDP/SSAF is a movement that broke away from the SPLM/A-IO in August last year.
The political wing is Federal Democratic Party/FDP led by Gabriel Changson Chang and the military wing is South Sudan Armed Forces/SSAF led by Gen. Peter Gatdet Yak.
The movement says it has presence in South Sudan, several areas as well as abroad.
(ST)