Northern Bahr el Ghazal State’s legislative assembly has delayed its return from recess as planned amid a continuing power struggle in the state between two parts of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (Juba faction).

General Paul Malong, the chief of staff of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (Juba faction), remains also the chairman of the SPLM in the state in spite of having been called into the army and transferred to SPLA headquarters in Juba.

His supporters in the state parliament have impeached caretaker governor Kuel Aguer. The ousted governor’s supporters claimed that the procedures for impeaching the governor were not correct. Nonetheless, Kuel has still not returned to the state and remains exiled in Juba.

Chairman of the information committee in the state parliament Achak  Thiep Thiep said today that the assembly has not resumed its normal business because some members were outside of the country.  

“We were supposed to return last week, date 10 [March], but we extended… most of the people were not informed of the opening and some are outside South Sudan. [There is] nothing that politically have to do with assembly recess, only that members are not well informed.”

He was responding to claims that the main reason for the delay was the absence of the governor and the political crisis in the state.

Only six committee chairpersons are present in the state while most other members are gone, including “some in treatment” for medical conditions and others absent for other reasons.

File photo: State Legislative Assembly in Aweil