South Sudan President Salva Kiir has dismissed Upper Nile state governor James Odhok Oyay amid rising tensions with ethnic militias. Kiir accuses the militias of aligning with rival Riek Machar. The conflict has led to significant military and political confrontations, undermining the 2018 peace agreement and risking a return to civil strife. Over 50,000 individuals have been displaced due to violence, prompting concerns from the UN.
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed Upper Nile state governor James Odhok Oyay amid escalating violence involving government forces and ethnic militias. Kiir alleges that these militias have aligned with his political rival, Riek Machar, provoking concern over stability in the nation, which is just recovering from a civil war. The tensions escalated after the White Army militia forced government troops to retreat from Nasir, a strategic town near the Ethiopian border.
In response to the ongoing conflict, Kiir’s administration has detained several members of Machar’s political party, the SPLM-IO, including notable figures in leadership roles. This has heightened anxieties that South Sudan, the world’s newest country, is at risk of reverting to civil strife just seven years post-eruption of a destructive civil war.
The president’s late Wednesday order, broadcast on state television, replaced Oyay with James Koang Chuol, a lieutenant general from the same region. SPLM-IO leaders have reacted negatively, asserting his dismissal breaches the peace agreement established in 2018, with spokesperson Puok Both Baluang condemning the act as unilateral.
Conversely, Information Minister Michael Makuei criticized Machar’s faction for purportedly threatening the peace accord, stating the dismissal of Oyay aimed to restore order in Upper Nile state. Furthermore, the government has accused the SPLM-IO of collaborating with the White Army, a predominantly Nuer group with roots in the recent civil war, claims which SPLM-IO refutes.
According to the United Nations, the violence around Nasir has resulted in the displacement of approximately 50,000 individuals since late February. The UN has expressed concerns that South Sudan is perilously close to slipping back into full-blown civil conflict.
The recent dismissal of the Upper Nile state governor by President Kiir illustrates escalating tensions in South Sudan, exacerbated by competing political factions. The government’s actions reflect an attempt to stabilize the situation, yet such decisions provoke opposition and unrest within the SPLM-IO. The ongoing violence and displacement of thousands reinforce the urgent need for resolution and adherence to peace agreements in order to prevent a resurgence of civil war in South Sudan.
Original Source: www.timeslive.co.za
