In presidential decrees readout on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Monday night, President Salva Kiir Mayardit who is also the leader of the ruling SPLM party faction dismissed Yau Yau from the group’s National Liberation Council.
In another decree, Kiir sacked Yau Yau, a former rebel leader, from the TNLA where he was representing his home-area of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA). The president did not give reasons for the changes aside from citing powers given to him in the party and the country’s constitutions.
Speaking to Sudans Post on Wednesday afternoon, Yau Yau welcomed his removal from both positions and described it as a normal government way of operation.
“There is nothing happening, it is just a government policy of doing the work and it is not the first time for such a reshuffle to happen,” he said.
“So, I feel it is normal because it is not the first time to happen. Reshuffle, to be appointed, be relieved. It is not the first time to experience it and there is nothing wrong in it and it is just a normal policy of the government operation,” he added.
Last week, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) Edmund Yakani called on the government to come out on the removal of Yau Yau and said that the presidential decrees were “worrying developments” to the citizens.
Yau Yau described Yakani’s comments as a public opinion and said that citizens should continue with their normal activities, stressing that citizens are always allowed to think in their own independent ways of analyzing events.
“These are the public’s opinions and individual way of thinking. We cannot go from one person to another to make sure the thinking of individuality and the public always are allowed they are free to think in their own way,” Yau Yau said.
“This is a normal way of operating and there is even nothing wrong in it. But there is nothing to be worried of because you know for us, we can be transferred from one assignment to another this is a normal government reshuffle, and this is a normal government way of doing things and distribute assignments and we should not worry about it and shouldn’t cause panic to the public,” he added.
The senior SPLM official he will stay to wait if there is going to be another assignment and will pursue normal life like any other citizen of the country is there is going to be done and called on the public to not look into what the government is doing in its policies.
“If there is a new assignment that’s fine, if there is no new assignment, we will pursue the normal life as a citizen of this country. We still can contribute to the development and to the peace of this country in one way or another,” he said.
“My last message to [the public] is just to tell them to behave normally and relax. You know the government has not stopped it has just revoked my position. They will still go on and continue not only in this year, and you know we must remain normal. Citizens must remain in their own way and not pay attention to what the government is doing,” he added.