For many in Unity State, it signalled the return of a familiar and deeply polarising figure at a time when the region remains fragile and divided.
President Salva Kiir presided over the swearing-in, calling for calm, unity, and renewed commitment to peace.
The ceremony also saw the appointment of other officials, including a new Presidential Advisor for Peace and several deputy governors, in what the government framed as a step toward strengthening stability and implementing the peace agreement.
But it was Manytuil’s return to the governorship—more than a year after he left office in May 2024—that dominated political attention.
Having first assumed the role in July 2013, Manytuil is no stranger to Unity State’s complex security landscape. During his previous tenure, he was both credited by supporters for maintaining relative stability in parts of the state and criticised by opponents for heavy-handed approaches to security and governance.
His reappointment now reopens old wounds.
Among the most vocal and prominent critics is Gen. Stephen Buay Rolnyang, leader of the South Sudan People’s Movement/Army (SSPM/A), whose relationship with Manytuil has long been defined by confrontation. In a strongly worded statement issued on the eve of the swearing-in, Rolnyang warned that the decision could push Unity State back toward instability.
He argued that Manytuil’s previous administration had failed to contain intercommunal violence and cattle raiding along the volatile borders between Unity State and Bahr el Ghazal.
“For over thirteen years, Joseph Nguen Manytuil’s administration has failed to uphold peace and security,” Rolnyang said, dismissing the reappointment as “misguided.”
His warning was not just political rhetoric—it carried the weight of history.
In July 2022, fighters aligned with Rolnyang’s SSPM/A claimed responsibility for an attack on Mayom County that left at least 12 people dead, including Chuol Gatluak Manime, a county commissioner at the time. The incident marked a turning point in tensions between the armed group and the state government.
What followed intensified the rift. In August 2022, Manytuil ordered the summary execution of three men accused of masterminding the attack. The suspects, Major General Nyuon Garang, Major General Pur Ruop Kuol, and Brigadier General Gatluak Majok, were reportedly handcuffed, blindfolded, executed by firing squad, and their bodies burned.
The incident sent shockwaves across South Sudan and drew international condemnation, cementing a legacy of mistrust and grievance.
It is against this backdrop that Manytuil now returns to power.
For his supporters, his comeback represents experience and continuity in a state where insecurity, political fragmentation, and economic hardship remain persistent challenges.
The presidency itself praised his past role in promoting stability and expressed confidence in his ability to deliver peace and development.
For critics like Rolnyang, however, the reappointment risks entrenching the very dynamics that have fueled cycles of violence. In stark language, he warned that the decision could expose communities along the Unity–Bahr el Ghazal border to renewed bloodshed.
The broader political context adds another layer of complexity. South Sudan is inching toward long-delayed elections, and Unity State—rich in oil but plagued by conflict—will be a critical arena in shaping the country’s political future. Leadership decisions in such regions carry consequences that extend far beyond administrative reshuffles.
Wednesday’s ceremony, though framed as a message of unity, underscored the enduring tension between the government’s narrative of stability and the realities on the ground. Vice President Taban Deng Gai called for the removal of roadblocks to boost trade, while other officials emphasised reconciliation and cooperation among communities.
Yet the competing narratives surrounding Manytuil’s return reveal a deeper question: can a figure associated with both stability and controversy navigate Unity State through its next chapter without reigniting old conflicts?
The answer remains uncertain, at least for now. But what is clear is that Manytuil’s comeback is not just a political appointment—it is a moment that reopens unresolved tensions and tests the fragile balance of peace in one of South Sudan’s most volatile regions, Unity State.
