President Salva Kiir of South Sudan has removed Upper Nile Governor James Odhok Oyay amid escalating clashes against an ethnic militia tied to First Vice President Riek Machar. This dismissal is perceived as a violation of the peace agreement, with concerns rising about potential conflict resurgence and humanitarian crises affecting thousands in the region.
President Salva Kiir of South Sudan has dismissed Upper Nile State’s Governor James Odhok Oyay following intensified clashes between government forces and a militia. Kiir has alleged that the militia is collaborating with his political adversary, First Vice President Riek Machar, escalating the already fraught political environment.
The conflict underscores increasing tensions between Kiir and Machar after the White Army militia forced government forces to retreat from the strategic town of Nasir, located near the Ethiopian border. In retaliation, the government detained several officials from Machar’s SPLM-IO party, including the petroleum minister and the deputy chief of the army.
The volatile situation raises alarm about the potential for South Sudan to revert to conflict, merely seven years after a brutal civil war resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths. This recent decree, announced on state television, replaces Oyay with Lieutenant General James Koang Chuol, a native of Nasir.
SPLM-IO has voiced discontent over this decision, which they perceive as a unilateral breach of the 2018 peace agreement. Spokesperson Puok Both Baluang elaborated on this perspective in a recent statement.
Information Minister Michael Makuei countered SPLM-IO’s claims, stating that Oyay’s removal is aimed at restoring peace in Upper Nile State. The government has alleged that SPLM-IO has connections to the White Army, comprised mainly of Nuer youths who previously fought alongside Machar against Kiir’s forces. SPLM-IO has refuted these accusations.
United Nations reports indicate that fighting around Nasir has led to the displacement of 50,000 individuals since late February, exacerbating an already critical situation that threatens to devolve into civil war.
President Salva Kiir’s dismissal of Upper Nile Governor James Odhok Oyay reflects escalating tensions in South Sudan, particularly concerning the conflict involving the White Army militia and the SPLM-IO. The government’s actions, including the arrest of SPLM-IO officials, signal a deteriorating political climate that raises fears of a return to violence after years of fragile peace. The United Nations has highlighted the urgent humanitarian crisis resulting from this conflict, with thousands displaced and the specter of renewed civil war looming overhead.
Original Source: newscentral.africa
