Kiir demands administrative area for Apadang community
Former Vice-president and Chairman of the SPLM-IO, Dr. Riek Machar Teny and South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit (Photo: Supplied)
July 1, 2020 (SSNN) – South Sudan President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, has demanded an administrative area for Apadang community of Upper Nile state, a senior opposition official who attended yesterday’s meeting between Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar said.
The latest demand by the South Sudanese leader comes after he refused to appoint SPLM-IO nominee, General Johnson Olony, as governor of the oil-rich Upper Nile state saying the former rebel general is not popular in the state and may result in disunity.
Speaking to South Sudan News Now this morning, a senior opposition official who is also a member of the revitalized transitional government of national unity, said Kiir gave condition on the appointment of General Johnson Olony as governor.
He said Kiir demanded in the meeting which ended for 15 minutes, that if the SPLM-IO is to insist on Olony, then the Apadang community be given an administrative area because – according to Kiir – the people don’t trust Olony.
“When we go to meet president Kiir yesterday, the president demanded that if we were to appoint Olony, the Apadang community must be given an administrative area as it happened for the people in Ruweng from Unity state,” the official said.
He said the demand by Kiir is a grave violation of the revitalized peace agreement because the revitalized peace deal provided that the parties reserve the right to choose its candidate for a state and not for other parties to decide for.
“Of course this is a violation to the revitalized peace agreement. Kiir wants to choose for us our candidate which is a grave violation of the deal. The people in other states have not complained when they were given a candidate they didn’t want,” the official said.
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