South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed Upper Nile State Governor James Odhok Oyay amid escalating clashes with an ethnic militia. Kiir alleges the militia’s ties to rival Riek Machar’s SPLM-IO party. The conflict has raised fears of a return to civil war as thousands have already been displaced from the region.
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has relieved Upper Nile State Governor James Odhok Oyay of his duties amid intensified clashes between government forces and an ethnic militia. President Kiir accuses the militia of cooperating with his political adversary, First Vice President Riek Machar. This conflict has escalated tensions between the two leaders, especially after the militia compelled government troops to retreat from the strategically significant town of Nasir, located near the Ethiopian border.
In retaliation for the uprising, Kiir’s administration has detained several officials from Machar’s SPLM-IO party, including the petroleum minister and the deputy chief of the army. This standoff has led to growing apprehensions about South Sudan potentially descending into conflict again, just seven years after its emergence from a devastating civil war that resulted in extensive casualties.
Following a decree aired on state television, Kiir appointed Lieutenant General James Koang Chuol, a native of Nasir, as the new governor of Upper Nile State. This action provoked dissent from SPLM-IO, which had already begun to withdraw from the 2018 peace agreement in protest against the recent detentions. Machar’s spokesperson, Puok Both Baluang, denounced Oyay’s removal as unilateral and a serious infringement of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.
In defense, Information Minister Michael Makuei asserted that Oyay was dismissed to restore peace in Upper Nile State, while accusing Machar’s party of jeopardizing the peace agreement. The government charges that SPLM-IO has affiliations with the White Army, a militia composed mainly of armed ethnic Nuer youths that collaborated with Machar’s forces during the 2013-2018 civil war against predominantly ethnic Dinka troops loyal to Kiir. SPLM-IO has firmly rejected these claims.
The United Nations has reported that up to 50,000 individuals have been displaced due to fighting in and around Nasir since late February, raising alarms over the deteriorating situation, which is now described as “on the brink of relapse into civil war.”
The dismissal of Upper Nile Governor James Odhok Oyay signifies rising tensions between South Sudan’s leaders, Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, especially with accusations of militia alignment threatening peace. The government’s recent actions, including the arrest of SPLM-IO officials, have fueled concerns of renewed conflict just years after a devastating civil war. The situation remains dire, with thousands displaced and the potential for escalation looming.
Original Source: newscentral.africa
