Jonglei state sacks two commissioners
November 18, 2014 (BOR) – Residents of South Sudan’s Jonglei state were surprised by Tuesday’s sacking of the commissioners of Bor and Duk counties.
Bor county’s Dr Agot Alier and Duk county’s Elijah Mochnom Wuor were dismissed with immediate effect following a state government decree.
The reasons for their dismissal remain unclear.
However, Wuor told Sudan Tribune he welcomed the decision, urging the community decide on a suitable replacement.
“I am happy to have been relieved. This is a government position; you can come in today and next time you must go. I didn’t come to stay until I grow old in this chair,” he said.
Duk county was reduced to rubble by rebel forces in April 2013, with public infrastructure and other facilities completely destroyed.
According to Wuor, some 22,712 houses were burned down, with rebels also destroying 14 schools and 11 clinics across the county.
Close to 66,000 people were also displaced from their homes within the county.
Wuor said the main challenges he faced was rebuilding the schools and clinics and resettling local families – a task he said would be taken up by the new commissioner.
He said he had lobbied the Duk lost boys in the diaspora communities and intellectuals in South Sudan to help rebuild the county so people could return to their homes
“Let the community decides on the right person to go and serve them. The new commissioner who will come after me will complete it all.” he said.
Meanwhile, Alier said he was surprised by the decision, describing it as normal changing of the guard.
“I am not disappointed by this change. I know what [the] government does to people holding such offices,” he said.
“This is not the first office I have held in the government. I had been to different positions before, so it is completely normal. Let the people of Bor know that,” he added.
Many Bor residents fled to Mingkaman in Lakes state after fierce fighting broke out in the town between government and rebel forces.
Alier was among the commissioners taking part in a recent two-day conference to discuss the roles of both the government and international agencies in assisting displaced people wishing to return to their homes.
He said efforts to reunite people with their families and assist them to return safely to their communities would continue despite his sacking.
“I have been talking to our people in Mingkaman and outside South Sudan in refugees camps so that they are not demoralised to have hopes. I had planted this in their hearts,” he said.
“So my going will not affect the processes what were discussed and documented by the United Nations on this issue,” he added.
Alier, a qualified medical doctor by profession, was the deputy governor to Ismael Konyi from 1998 to 2005 under the Sudanese government.
Following the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which paved the way for Southern independence, Alier was appointed the minister of health, a position he held until 2010.
He went on to become an advisor to former governor Kuol Manyang Juuk, who later appointed him commissioner of Bor county, replacing Maker Lual on 10 September 2012.
(ST)