South Sudan president orders Lol state governor to return to Raja
June 22, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudanese president, Salva Kiir, has ordered the governor of Lol state to return to Raja, the capital of the newly created state which was split from former Western Bahr el Ghazal state.
The governor first fled to Khor Shamam, an area near Raja town and which has allegedly been used by the Sudanese rebels of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) as one of the bases inside South Sudan.
Governor Hassan later on returned to the town the same evening for preparations to relocate to Nyamellel town, one of the places in Aweil area under the administrative jurisdiction of Lol state.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, an aide to governor has confirmed he has returned to Raja town in compliance with the directives of president Kiir who directed him to return immediately to the area after fleeing there last week.
“We left Nyamellel on Monday and we arrived yesterday on Tuesday,” the official told Sudan Tribune Wednesday.
He said deputy governor, minister of information, minister of finance, security adviser and other officials have remained behind in fear of the situation, despite presidential directives that the whole cabinet should return to Raja.
“They were supposed to return with the governor based on the directives of the president but they were reluctant to come. So the governor decided to leave and whoever was following him came with him. So the minister of agriculture and some military officers have returned. We are here,” he said.
Last week, a group of unknown gunmen, which the government’s military spokesman only referred to as “bandits and criminals” stormed the capital city of the new state, capturing it, killing many government soldiers and chasing out cabinet ministers.
They however withdrew hours later on and the town returned under the control of the government forces.
However, there are still fears that the gunmen may return to the town.
(ST)