The SPLA has denied claims by the SPLM in Opposition that the Chief of General Staff, Gen Paul Malong Awan is a threat to the peace agreement.

In a statement, the opposition criticized General Malong for reportedly saying that he would ‘never see Dr Riek Machar acting as president’.

General Malong is said to have made the remark in one of his visits to the Bahr al-Ghazal region. The army has denied this.

“To accuse the army chief of insubordination, of being a threat to the implementation of the peace agreement as well as lack of command and control, the SPLM-IO has a hidden agenda of faking bad blood between and among our people,” SPLA Spokesman Brig Lul Ruai said.

Brig Lul went on to say that Gen Malong never spoke in any gathering during his private visit to his home town of Aweil.

“The Chief of General Staff did not talk about who should act or not as President since he was on a private visit to his rural home, where he held no political rally and did not address SPLA soldiers because there were no SPLA soldiers deployed in the area he had visited.”