A prominent community leader from Aweil community says he is optimistic that the differences between President Salva Kiir and his former army chief of general staff Paul Malong will be resolved amicably.

General Albino Akol Akol told Radio Tamazuj on Sunday that the current tension between President and General Paul Malong will be overcome.  “I am optimistic that this situation will be resolved amicably. And I tell you why? There are positive indicators and one of these positive indicators I am talking about is that the government and Gen Paul Malong are talking,” he said.

“The president … is interested in peaceful settlement and willing to clear any misconception. This is a positive indicator and signal to all that this way of handling an issue like this shows there is a willingness to not escalate the situation,” he added.

Another positive indicator, he said, is that there has not been any hostile activity either by the government towards associates of Paul Malong or Malong attempting to protest in any harmful way.

The prominent community leader further said Malong was receptive to the community initiative to deescalate the situation. “The meeting went well.  Gen. Paul was receptive to the elders who went and met him in Nairobi. Their trip was approved by the president and their mission was to go and hear from him and come back to the president with the message of Gen Paul Malong,” he said.