19/03/2025
Breaking News 🚨
: The SPLM-IO has accused President Salva Kiir of violating the peace agreement by appointing a general loyal to him as the governor of Upper Nile State.
On Wednesday evening, Kiir dismissed Governor Odhok Oyai, an SPLM-IO nominee, and replaced him with Lt. Gen. James Koang, the SSPDF Assistant Chief of Defense Forces for Training and Research.
The move comes after deadly clashes earlier this month in Nasir, Upper Nile State, between the SSPDF and the SPLM-IO-allied White Army. During the violence, Oyai remained silent and did not issue any statements about the security situation. Analysts suggest his inaction contributed to his removal.
However, the SPLM-IO sees the decision as a violation of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCISS), which allocated the Upper Nile governorship to the SPLM-IO and the deputy governor position to the SPLM.
Puok Both, the acting spokesperson for First Vice President Riek Machar, condemned the move, saying Kiir’s decision to remove Oyai and appoint Koang “constitutes another unilateral action and a severe violation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.”
He further accused President Kiir’s SPLM party of undermining the deal, stating, “It is evident that the SPLM-IG is no longer respecting the agreement.”
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