Kiir issues decree firing South Sudan army chief today

JUBA – South Sudan president Salva Kiir has appointed General Johnson Juma Okot as the new South Sudan army chief replacing General Gabriel Jok Riak who was relieved from the position.

Johnson Juma Okot was first promoted from the rank of Lt General to the rank of a General.

The change was announced on state-run SSBC-TV  on Monday evening.

He was the Deputy Chief of Defense Forces.

Top generals replaced along South Sudan army chief

In a separate decree, Kiir promoted Major Gen. Botrous Bol Bol, Major Gen. Marshal Stephen, and Major Gen. Malual Majok to the rank of Lt General.

President Kiir also relieved Lt Gen James Gai Yoac, Lt Gen James Kong Kong, and Lt Gen Wang Chiok Koryom from the SSPDF.

Military offensives in Central Equatoria

The replacement of the top army chief comes as the army is accused of intensifying attacks against hold out opposition groups in the country’s Central Equatoria state.

The chairperson of the National Alliance for Democracy and Freedom Action (NADAFA), a holdout opposition alliance, Dr. Hakim Dario, said in a statement on Sunday that the government action targets innocent civilians and should be condemned by the international community.

“The …… NADAFA unreservedly condemns in no uncertain terms the continuing R-TGONU atrocities against the civilians in Central Equatoria,” the statement signed by Dario partly reads.

Dario said the actions “are committed in flagrant violation of the CoHA of 2017 and of the Rome Declaration with the non-signatory SSOMA parties.”

The opposition leader said the alliance condemns the joint ceasefire violation by the two SPLM factions (SPLM-IG and SPLM-IO) led by President Salva Kiir and his first deputy Riek Machar Teny.

He said the attacks against National Salvation Front (NAS) should be condemned by the UN, EU and the African Union.

“In the wake of continuing non-observance of the UNSEC imposed arms embargo on South Sudan by both Sudan and Uganda, South Sudan NADAFA condemns the combined SSPDF and SPLM-IO forces uncalled for attack,” the statement read.

“The attack on NAS constituted a threat and a rejection to the EU’s Declaration on South Sudan and which undermines the EU’s Council support for the peace process.

“South Sudan NADAFA recognizes the flawed provisions and stipulations of[1]R-ARCSS’s for power sharing between largely two ethnic communities in South Sudan.

“There are ethnic domination and hegemonic drivers underlying the silent declaration of war on Equatoria by SSPDF and SPLM-IO forces, who are bent on forcing sole political control of the country under the failed SPLM hegemonic and corrupt leadership in the country.

“There is unlikely to be peaceful resolution of the conflict in South Sudan without territorial power sharing between the People’s of greater Upper Nile, Equatoria, and Bahr al Ghazal regions of South Sudan.

“The Alliance, NADAFA calls upon the regional and international community to stand with the people of South Sudan in their quest for a democratic and transparent Constitution-Making process that is people-driven and which puts the people first.

The currently proposed TNLA will comprise SPLM appointees of the parties to the R-ARCSS (SPLM IG 330MPs, and 134 SPLM-IO MPs) who are not elected representatives of the people of South Sudan.

“South Sudan NADAFA reiterates its calls on the EU and its member states to stand with the people of South Sudan and support them facilitate People’s Constitutional Conventions in Upper Nile, Equatoria and Bahr al Ghazal regions.”

Under this system, the people would select their representatives to a Constituent Assembly in a bid to guarantee and ensure that constitution-making is people-driven and not SPLM-driven in South Sudan.”