Lol state Governor assaulted at Aweil airport
MARCH 30, 2016 (JUBA) – The youth leadership in South Sudan’s Lol state has strongly condemned the manner in which one of the supporters of army chief Paul Malong attacked Lol state Governor, Rizik Zachariah Hassan in Aweil town on Tuesday, sparking tension between supporters of the two rival politicians with huge followers in the area.
“This behaviour is unacceptable and any repeat will not be tolerated whatsoever”, it adds.
The youth leadership, in the 29 March statement, called for immediate investigation to establish the motives behind the assault and warned such actions “could expose and undermine relations between the two states if no action is taken against the perpetrator” .
“We call on the government of Aweil state to come out to condemn this unbecoming and unacceptable behaviour and take immediate action against the perpetrator”, it stressed.
The youth identified the assailant as Robert Majok Kuol, a renowned supporter of Malong.
It remains unclear under what circumstances the governor was verbally attacked and why no immediate intervention was taken by the authorities in the area to establish the motive behind the unusual behaviour towards high profile officials at the state levels.
Hassan, according to eyewitness, was at Aweil airfield waiting to board a flight when Majok appeared from nowhere in the middle of gubernatorial entourage, pretended he was greeting the governor before he began hurling insults at the Lol state governor.
Observers have argued the attack was a politically motivated act to cause tension between supporters in the area so as to attract the attention and intervention of President Salva Kiir in a political dispute between the army chief of staff, who has expressed interest to become the overall head of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) branch offices in the three states of Lol, Aweil State and Aweil East.
Malong’s idea has been accepted in Aweil state and his home state of Aweil East, but rejected by Lol state politicians, including their governor, Hassan. Lol was curved out of Aweil West and Aweil North counties and merged with Raja county to form one state.
Analysts say the rejection of Malong’s proposal as the head of the party offices in the three states weakens his political standing at the national level, since it reduces his political support base to his home state of Aweil East and negligible voices in Aweil state.
(ST)