malong

South Sudan president says reappointing ex-army chief amounts to bad precedent

January 19, 2018 (JUBA) – South Sudan President Salva Kiir said reappointment of the former army chief of Staff Paul Malong Awan whom his administration had declared to have rebelled recently would amount to setting a bad precedent.

“We are trying to establish a system that everyone should respect and comply whenever changes are made but if we go around the same system we want to create, we will never change this situation and we are setting a bad precedent because everyone will feel untouchable. And every minister and a general in SPLA will do the same thing and we will never move ahead”, said president Kiir on Thursday upon receiving a report from the Committee of the Concerned Citizens who travelled to Nairobi, Kenya, for consultation with the former chief of staff.

The South Sudanese president asked some of the Dinka council of elders what has changed after some of them were heading advocacy seeking removal from the office of the former army chief staff.

“Now when some of you come and tell me to reappoint Paul Malong because of peace and harmony of our people, I don’t talk because it is some of you who were telling me and bring reports of what you were saying and what was done by Malong.

“When I used to tell you I know Malong than any of you, some of you started to say I was not listening. And some of you started by way of doing things allow issues to build up and by the time I take actions, they have already grown that they become difficult to manage.

And I when act, some of you come back the next day and say something else, now tell me what should be done in this case of Malong”, asked Kiir.

The former rebel commander turned politician and became the country’s first president, said he personally told former army chief of staff in Nairobi, Kenya, to stop all he was doing and relax.

“When I went to Kenya to attend the inauguration of president Uhuru Kenya, I met Malong and we talked at length. I listened to him and the issues he raised and one thing I told him was to relax. But when I returned, I started hearing and getting reports of the activities he started to do. One of the activities was the record audiotapes I played before you went to meet him,” he said

Bol Wek Agoth, acting chief administrator in the office of the president said a letter addressed to the president himself for approval of the names and mission of the committee of citizens seeking permission to go meet with former army chief of staff that the committee of concerned citizens wants to go Nairobi, Kenya, for consultation with Gen Paul Malong to verify details surrounding recent activities alleged to him and promise to come back with accurate information

(ST)