By Staff Writer
South Sudan United Movement (SSUM), a party signatory to the revitalized peace agreement under the umbrella of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), has protested the removal of former Jonglei State Governor Denay Jock Chagor.
SSUM, in a statement seen by the No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper, is demanding the reversal of the decree, complaining that Chagor was not procedurally sacked from the post and his replacement robbed his party, as well as the portfolio, which falls under their docket according to the power-sharing agreement.
“On behalf of the South Sudan United Movement (SSUM), we raise concern about the unilateral decision to replace the position of Jonglei State Governor, a position that had been allocated to SSUM by the peace agreement arrangement,” SSUM echoed in its press statement.
It further protested that now the position has been given to a member of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), another party under SSOA.
The newly appointed governor Mahjoub Biel Turuk is from the National Democratic Movement (NDM) party while his predecessor, Chagor hails from the South Sudan United Movement (SSUM) bother under the umbrella of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance.
South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) is a coalition of political parties with various positions that are allocated to the SSOA under the Revitalized Agreement.
SSUM emphasized that the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCISS) divided positions equally amongst the SSOA parties.
“As such, change to the power-sharing of positions amongst SSOA parties should be done through a consultative process among the members and the Chairperson of SSOA, who is Hon. Josephine Lagu,” they stated.
“Unilateral decision-making is contrary to the operational principles of SSOA as a coalition and the R-ARCISS.”
Former governor Chagor, who had been accused of running Jonglei state affairs remotely from Juba, was fired in a Republican decree announced on May 29, 2024, on the state-run SSBC radio and TV.
However, his political camp insists his removal wasn’t done in the right way.
“We urge all the parties to agree to respect the peace agreement and the power-sharing decision procedures, and therefore we call for the decision to be reversed.” The SSUM party reiterated their position on the recent changes.
Meanwhile, the NDM party and SSOA umbrella are yet to respond to the SSUM protest statement on the sacking of the former Jonglei State governor.