President Kiir Dismisses Upper Nile State Governor Amidst Rising Clashes with Ethnic Militia

President Salva Kiir of South Sudan has replaced Upper Nile state governor James Odhok Oyay amid increasing clashes with the White Army militia, which he claims aligns with rival Riek Machar. This action has prompted backlash from Machar’s SPLM-IO party, already partially withdrawing from the peace agreement. Displacement due to fighting has affected approximately 50,000 people, raising fears of a return to civil war.

President Salva Kiir of South Sudan has dismissed the governor of Upper Nile state amidst escalating clashes between government forces and an ethnic militia. This militia is accused by Kiir of colluding with Riek Machar, his political rival and First Vice-President. The turmoil intensified after the White Army militia compelled government troops to retreat from the crucial town of Nasir, near the border with Ethiopia.

Consequently, the Kiir administration detained multiple officials from the SPLM-IO party, to which Machar belongs, including key figures such as the petroleum minister and the deputy army chief. The ongoing tension has heightened concerns regarding potential conflict resurgence in South Sudan, just seven years after the conclusion of a devastating civil war.

In a televised decree, Kiir appointed James Koang Chuol, a lieutenant general from Nasir, as the new governor, replacing James Odhok Oyay, who hails from the SPLM-IO. The decision has sparked significant backlash from the SPLM-IO, which has already taken steps to withdraw from the 2018 peace agreement due to the recent detentions.

Puok Both Baluang, Machar’s spokesperson, described Oyay’s removal as a unilateral move and a grave breach of the Revitalised Peace Agreement established in 2018. In contrast, Information Minister Michael Makuei accused Machar’s party of endangering the peace arrangement and asserted that Oyay’s dismissal aimed to restore peace in the Upper Nile region.

The government holds the SPLM-IO responsible for maintaining connections with the White Army, primarily composed of armed Nuer youth who supported Machar during the previous civil war against the predominantly Dinka forces loyal to Kiir. The SPLM-IO has refuted these claims. Since late February, the conflict in the vicinity of Nasir has resulted in the displacement of approximately 50,000 individuals, prompting the UN to caution that South Sudan stands at the brink of a renewed civil war.

President Salva Kiir’s dismissal of Upper Nile state’s governor and the ongoing conflict with the White Army raise serious concerns about stability in South Sudan. The actions taken by Kiir’s administration against SPLM-IO leadership have elicited significant backlash, threatening the fragile peace established by the 2018 agreement. As the humanitarian crisis escalates, the international community watches closely, wary of a possible return to the devastating civil war that ravaged the nation just a few years prior.

Original Source: www.timeslive.co.za