Two state governors and one presidential adviser took oath of office on Friday in a function presided over by President Salva Kiir at presidential palace in Juba.
Chief justice Chan Reec Madut administered the taking oath of Ramadan Hassan Laku as the Adviser on Good Governance and Rule of Law. Ramadan is a nominee of the Sudan People’s Liberation in opposition (SPLM-IO) faction under the leadership of Taban Deng Gai, who replaced Riek Machar in a controversial appointment after the eruption of another violence conflict in July 2016 at presidential palace, resulting in the death of several people.
Ramadan and several other officials closed to Machar fled Juba and refused the appointment and taking oath of office, citing violation of the peace agreement. He went to Nairobi, Kenya and later to Khartoum, Sudan, where he met Machar and became of the officials who argued Machar to declare war as a way to force the government to reinstate him, implement the deal or continue with armed struggle to change the regime in Juba.
It remains unclear what motivated him to change his mind and returned to Juba in less than two months after advocating for armed struggle as an alternative to nonviolence approach.
Sources say Ramadan changed his mind after the international community and the IGAD member countries condemned the declaration of war and urged Machar to denounce violence. Speaking to reporters on Friday on behalf of the officials whom they took oath office before the president, he pledged to work with the government and President Kiir.
The other officials who took oath office were Gen. Gregory Deng Kuac, governor of Gogrial and Kon Manyiel Kuol as the governor of Twic State.
Gregory, a brother in law of president Kiir, replaced Abraham Gum Makuac while Kon Manyiel Kuol replaced former Twic governor, Bona Panek Biar.