Kuajok –Residents of South Sudan’s Warrap State on Thursday expressed frustrations over the constant removal of state governors, saying it would exacerbate intercommunal conflicts in the state.
President Salva Kiir on Tuesday dismissed the governor of Warrap State, Gen. Francis Marial Abur, after four months in office.
Gen. Marial, who was appointed in October 2024, was replaced by Magok Magok Deng.
This is the fourth time in four months Kiir appointed and removed the governor of Warrap State, his home area.
The previous governors include Kuol Muor Muor, who was ousted in October 2024, and former intelligence chief Gen. Akol Koor Kuc, whose appointment was revoked before he could take office.
Warrap State has been plagued by intercommunal violence, revenge killings, and cattle raids, which have contributed to ongoing instability.
Citizens from Warrap State told Sudans Post on Thursday that frequent removable of governors would worsen the security situation.
A vocal youth leader, Atem Atook Atem from the Mayen Abunn area argued that the state’s internal problems cannot be resolved by repeatedly removing governors.
“Warrap has a lot of problems, and the removal of the governors is not the solution. So, what I think as a solution is to allow someone to stay for long. The fighting that occurs in Warrap, such as the Twic and Abyei conflict, needs someone to stay in office for long,” said Atem.
He said in order for the governors to handle security issues in the state, they ought to be permitted to hold office for a longer quantity of time.
“If the governor is allowed to stay for six months, it would allow him to resolve some issues, but giving him a short tenure can’t help him or her solve the problems.”
Another resident of Gogrial West County, Atak Akoon Magook, claimed that theft and cattle raiding are the primary causes of violence in Tonj Counties which he said cannot be resolved “overnight.”
“It is worth noting that as many governors come and go, we never like what is happening in changing the governors in Warrap,” he said.
