By Deng Ghai Deng
South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) has dismissed swirling rumours regarding a shakeup in its military leadership.
A recent social media speculates removal of Major General Lual Wek Gum from his position as commander of Tiger Division, also known as the Presidential Guards.
The reports intimated that Major General Abraham Gum Makuach, formerly commanding the SSPDF First Infantry Division in Renk, Upper Nile, was set to take over Gum’s role due to directives from the presidential office.
However, SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang firmly refuted these claims.
“The chief of Defense Forces briefed all the officers at General headquarters and made it very clear that he has not received any official letter from the commander in chief of SSPDF regarding any changes that were reported on social media,” Gen. Koang stated.
Koang urged the public to refrain from spreading unofficial information that could escalate tensions.
This clarification comes on the heels of President Salva Kiir’s recent dismissal of Gen. Akol Koor Kuc, the long-serving Director General of the Internal Security Bureau of the National Security Service (NSS), who was replaced by Akec Tong Aleu.
Kuc’s ousting has ignited rumors about potential power struggles among top security officials, particularly following previous rumors linking both Koor and Gum to efforts aimed at overthrowing President Kiir.
The SSPDF stressed the importance of verified information, calling on citizens to seek clarity rather than contribute to the rumor mill.
The military’s proactive stance underscores the delicate balance of power within South Sudan’s leadership as the nation grapples with ongoing security challenges.