Political turmoil shakes Rumbek North
October 1, 2014 Rumbek – Lakes state’s military caretaker governor, Maj-Gen Matur Chut Dhuol, and speaker Baipath Relpuou have disagreed over an order issued on Wednesday for the arrest of Rumbek North MP Marik Nganga Marik.
Governor wrote a letter to Relpuou to remove the Marik over claims he had allowed pastoralists to occupy the town with their cattle.
Dhuol also accused Marik of having close links to pastoralist youth on account that he had failed to attack following a series of attacks in the area.
However, Relpuou refused the governor’s request to strip the Rumbek North MP of his immunity.
Responding to the political upheaval, Marik denied the governor’s allegations, describing them as baseless.
He said the governor was playing a blame game and that his administration ha failed to quell insecurity in the state.
“It is clear and I always say this in parliament that governor Matur Chut Dhuol has completely failed to govern Lakes state. This man cannot even rule [a] payam (district) or village,” he said, accusing Dhuol of abusing his powers.
He said Dhuol’s failure to find common ground with state intellectual and traditional leaders had hurt his leadership.
“[The] revenge cycle has resumed and it is because [the] governor use hate speeches and [is] undermining youth and traditional leaders, including MPs,” he said.
“I cannot be intimidated by any person. I am [a] freedom fighter and intimidation is not [a] solution to me,” he added.
Rumbek North county is located about 120km north of Rumbek Central county and suffers from a lack of communication networks and health services.
“Rumbek North is [the] most overlooked county which have no network, water, health centres, security, and yet how do I communicate with pastoralists youth to move their cows to town? he said.
He denied allowing pastoralists to occupy the town, saying individual youth had moved their cows into the area to escape rising flood waters.
In a separate development on Tuesday, Dhuol issued a decree dismissing Rumbek North county commissioner Marial Machar Aweckoc.
Abraham Maloth Marier has since been appointed as his replacement, in a move that has drawn heavy criticism from youths and activists.
The Lakes state government has become increasingly becoming unpopular among local residents due to its harsh security reforms.
Activists, students, intellectual and traditional leaders have repeatedly urged South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, to relive Dhuol, but public demands have so far been overlooked.
(ST)