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Sudan Tribune

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S. Sudan presidency denies ignoring N. Bahr el Ghazal governor

March 28, 2015 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese presidency has denied reports alleging that president Salva Kiir has refused to meet the caretaker governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, Kuel Aguer Kuel, and blocked his return to the politically instable state after the latter was impeached by a section of the state parliament which is purportedly loyal to the army’s chief of general staff, Paul Malong Awan.

Former Northern Bahr el Ghazal caretaker governor, Kuel Aguer Kuel (flickr)
Former Northern Bahr el Ghazal caretaker governor, Kuel Aguer Kuel (flickr)
This came after the confined caretaker governor Kuel last week broke his silence and told an Australian based SBS radio that he had been asked to stay in Juba by president Kiir despite his plan to go back to the state.

Kuel who was summoned to Juba on the political situation in the state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal said he specifically asked the president to give him permission to go back to Aweil, state capital, when a section of the town was brought down to ashes by a devastating fire which consumed over 705 houses and affected more than 759 families early March, but the president never replied his request.

“I told the president that I would like to go [to] the state to assess the damage caused by the fire. He told me that he heard about the fire but he never replied my request,” he said.

The restricted state’s top executive further explained that he was later on told president Kiir would not allow him to move back to Northern Bahr el Ghazal state until the presidency studied report of the ongoing investigation surrounding his impeachment decision by the state legislative assembly.

The presidential advisor on decentralization and intergovernmental linkages, Tor Deng Mawien, however denied the caretaker governor’s assertions, saying president Kiir was only giving himself time to study the report which accused the caretaker governor of malpractices in the state that led to his partial impeachment in February.

He also said the delay occurred because president Kiir did not have time since February to read the report.

“The president has received the report of the investigation committee. It was received in February. I think it was on 12 February but the issue is that he [the president] has never had free time to personally read the report so that he could make a decision,” the presidential advisor told Sudan Tribune on Saturday.

Mawien, a former official of the National Congress Party (NCP) who hails from Warrap state and is diehard supporter of president Kiir, further defended the presidency explaining there was no any intention to ignore the caretaker governor.

He directly appealed to the people of Aweil, Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, to understand the situation.

“I would like to assure our people in Aweil that the president has never refused to meet anybody. His office is opened to all the citizens. Sometimes he remains in office until around 8:30 pm; sometime he goes to 10:00 pm or even 11:00pm when there are pressing issues. He is always overscheduled but he makes sure that all the matters brought to his office as the father of the nation are given utmost attention. Now he is working hard to resolve the matter. So let our people exercise patience and remain calm,” he said.

The caretaker governor, who replaced the current chief of general staff of the South Sudan army, was accused of misappropriating funds in the state.

Kuel however believed that his recent introduction of new reform plans on taxation, public sector service, including repairing and maintaining of public roads may have angered his political opponents.

The caretaker state executive is faced by political rivalry in which most of his opponents see themselves as close allies to the former governor, Paul Malong Awan, who remains the head of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party in the state despite his appointment as the chief of general staff of the South Sudanese army (SPLA).

The army’s chief Awan is a long time close political and military ally of president Kiir. Many believe that president Kiir was studying the report to make a balance decision, apparently to avoid hurting his relations with the chief of general staff and his supporters who seek to oust the caretaker governor.

(ST)

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