Gen. Thomas Cyrillo Dismisses Defection Rumors as He Meets President Kiir in Juba

General Cirilo met president, Dismisses defection rumors

General Thomas Cirilo yesterday strongly dismissed the defection rumors that has been circulating on the social media for the last two days

Gen. Cirilo met president Salva Kiir Mayardit on Monday in his office and assured him of his full commitment to the national duties and dismissed the defection rumors that had rocked the country over the weekend

Speaking after meeting president Salva Kiir Mayardit yesterday in his office, Gen. Cirilo said he was on training mission to Swaziland

“I was on a mission course in Swaziland, I finished the course and I came back home on Saturday,” said Cirilo

“Of course there was this rumor which came out through Sudan tribune that I was missing for two days which is not correct, I came home on Saturday and yesterday I was in the country, I did not defected”, he point out

“I just want to assure the public that I was not missing and that it was just a pure lie, am here and have resume my duties,” he added

According to Gen. Cirilo, his meeting with the president was to discussed the issues of defense, SPLA and the course he was undergoing in Swaziland

“We are committed to this country, we fought for this country and its people and we will continue to be commit to the people so that they realize their aspiration of the freedom and justice society and nothing will stop that,” he said

speaking in the press briefing, the presidential Press Secretary Ateny Wek Ateny dismissed the rumors

“We are just calling you to inform you that as South Sudanese yesterday and the day before yesterday embark on the progress of looking at what news are for South Sudan especially those who are looking for news, which are for peace, they were shocked to find that there were wild rumors that had been create that General Thomas Cirilo Sawka the deputy chief of Staff for training has defected to the SPLM/A in opposition because they said according to the social media, he was not contactable”, said Ateny

“We want to inform the general public because we know the depression that has led into all these rumormongering, we want to inform our citizen that whatever that is created on the websites and the social media are not moving the government, the government is intact “, he said

Ateny said Gen. Cirilo was on a mission to Swaziland where he attended some training and he was not reachable during the process of traveling from Swaziland because the phone was off while in the plane

“While he was traveling and his phone was not reachable during the traveling, the rumor was created”, said Ateny

“Now we wanted to clear the cloned that Gen. Cirilo is back to his deputy as the deputy Chief of general Staff for training, he had just the president Gen. Salva Kiir Maryardit and he had assured him that he is here and the media was circulating rumors”, he point out

he said General Thomas Cirilo is a calebal of an army general that cannot be expected to join a causeless war

he said Gen. Cirilo joint the SPLM/A in the 90s and fought a cause war and he has no reason to join the ongoing senseless war in the country