South Sudan Minister of Health Submits Resignation Letter
South Sudan Minister of Health, Dr. Riek Gai Kok ok speaks during a press conference in Juba, South Sudan Friday, June 2, 2017. (Photo credit: AP/ Samir Bol)
Friday May 10th, 2019(SSNN) — South Sudan’s long serving Minister of Health, Dr. Riek Gai Kok, has allegedly submitted his “resignation letter” to the president, Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit.
According to Press Secretariat of South Sudan’s President, who confirmed to have seen the alleged resignation letter, Dr. Riek Gai submitted his resignation letter citing the extrajudicial execution of his nephew, Dong Samuel Luak Kok, a prominent human rights activist and a dedicated lawyer, who was killed in a controversial kidnapping incident for criticizing Salva Kiir government.
“Yes, he has submitted a very controversial resignation letter but we don’t think the president can approve it. Approving such a resignation means approving the biased report of the UN Expert that we are responsible for killing of Dong and Aggrey, which is not true” He stressed.
“The Minister needs to be convinced and be very sure that his cousin or whatever relative was killed by our government. We don’t kill anybody. Why killing them in the first place and we know they have relatives and friends in this government. It is not true”. He continued.
The Secretariat alleged that the president has asked Dr. Riek Gai Kok to submit his resignation to the Council of State for approval, however, according to family members and close friends, Dr. Riek Gai seems to have withdrawn his decision to resign as more than 5 days have passed by without taking further action.
The insider declined to give his consent to be named in this and related reports due to sensitivity of the reports. He further said that he was a “good friend” to the deceased and he prefers to be anonymous.
Who is Dr. Riek Gai Kok
Dr. Riek Gai Kok, a nurse by profession, is a South Sudanese politician who has served as a minister in both Salva Kiir and Omar el Bashir governments.
He hails from Chieng Man-nyang/Diang-nyang of the Lou-Nuer community, a subtribe of the Nuer tribe in the modern days Bieh/Akobo State of the former Jonglei State.
Gai kick-started his long political career in mid 1990s when he was appointed by Dr. Riek Machar Teny as the chairman of Relief Association of Southern Sudan (RASS), a humanitarian wing of the SPLM-Nasir faction, however, he quickly outgrew his ranks and was later used by both Bashir and Kiir to replace Dr. Riek Machar.
Around 1997-8 Dr. Riek Gai Kok became the spokesman of South Sudan Independence Movement/Army(SSIM/A) under Dr. Riek Machar Teny. At this time SSIM/A just signed the Khartoum Peace Agreement with the NIF Regime and moved to implement the peace agreement in the capital, Khartoum.
While in Khartoum, Dr. Riek Gai Kok claimed the position of Jonglei State Gubernatorial in 1999 and in 2002 he was controversially appointed the chairman of the Southern States Coordination Council(SSCC) by President Omar el Bashir declaring the end of the Khartoum Peace Agreement and replacing the significant of Dr. Riek Machar Teny.
As SSCC chairman, Gai was acting as an interim president who oversees the governance of the three regions of Bhar el Ghazal, Equatoria and Upper Nile.
By 2002, Dr. Riek Gai Kok was also appointed the Minister of Animal Resources in the Sudanese government and declared the Chairman of South Sudan Defense Forces, a position he wrangled over with Gen. Gordon Koang Chol.
With Dr. Machar having returned to wage rebellion against the Khartoum government, Dr. Gai worked closely with President Bashir.
He became a high ranking member of the National Congress Party and was appointed by Bashir as the Chairman of Southern Sector of the NCP as the South secedes to become an independent state.
Gai served as an advisor to president Bashir in Juba, South Sudan, while building trust with president Salva Kiir.
By July 2013, President Salva Kiir approached and attempted to appoint Dr. Gai as his Vice President to replace Dr. Riek Machar, who felt out with him[Kiir] over the SPLM leadership.
According to critics, both Bashir and Kiir preferred Gai due to his similar name, Dr. Riek, with Dr. Machar to create confusion over forceful replacement of Dr. Riek Machar; however, Dr. Riek Gai was criticized and advised not to repeat “the dirty” politics he played in Khartoum.
In August 2013, Dr. Gai was appointed the Minister of Health by President Kiir after cabinet reshuffle that outwitted many cadres of SPLM and replaced them with new comers, mostly from Khartoum.
Dr. Gai has well served his position to these days and it remains to be seen whether he will reconsider his resignation or not.
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