President Kiir ordered army chief Malong to return to Juba
December 23, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudanese president, Salva Kiir, on Tuesday ordered the army’s chief of general staff, Paul Malong Awan, to return to the national capital, Juba, immediately after boycotting reception of the advance team of the armed Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO), sources revealed.
A well-placed source in the presidency confirmed to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that Awan in protest against the return of SPLM-IO officials went to his home village of Malualkon in Aweil East county, Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, without the notice and approval of president Kiir, who had to learn later on about the disappearance of the top army commander.
“Normally the president gets regular security briefings from the different institutions over the weekends. Key figures like chief of general staff, inspector general of police, director generals of security for external and internal bureau attend along with their relevant ministers. The chief of general staff was supposed to attend as usual but General Paul Malong Awan was not there twice on Saturday and Sunday. The president asked and he was told he had travelled to northern Bahr el Ghazal,” a presidential source told Sudan Tribune.
“The president kept quiet and it was thought he [Awan] would return on Monday but when he failed to show up on Monday the president decided to ask him to return immediately to Juba so that he participates in the security meetings with the advance team of the SPLM-IO. His presence in Juba is very important and that was why the president had to ask him to return,” he explained.
Awan returned to Juba on Tuesday evening. The purpose of the visit was not clear. .
His critics claimed his departure ahead of the return of the SPLM-IO advance team and lack of showing up of high level military officers and security personnel to participate in the reception of the group indicated that Awan was not happy with the arrangement.
The opposition’s advance team included their senior military commanders including the deputy chief of general staff for operations, Lt. Gen. James Koang Chuol Ranley, who by normal protocol, would have been received by his counterpart in Juba. None of them showed up due to alleged directive from Awan that nobody should receive them from the top commanders, or else he would dismiss who dared.
However, police chief inspector, Lt. Gen. Pieng Deng Kuol and presidential guards commander, Maj. Gen. Marial Chinuong, were seen at the airport during the reception.
Also the minister of information and broadcasting, Michael Makuei Lueth, who is the acting chief negotiator on the side of the government, did not show up at the airport to receive his counterpart, Taban Deng Gai, the chief negotiator on the side of the opposition group.
Both Awan and Lueth are perceived by many as hardliners in president Kiir’s administration whose public comments have been equated to anti-peace messages, preferring a military solution to the conflict.
Awan’s aides and allies have however dismissed any rift between him and the president in the direction the country should take in handling the peace process.
(ST)