The author of this article argues that Army Chief of General Staff Paul Malong is holding onto political power in Northern Bahr al Ghazal state through illegal means. He argues that Malong is attempting to undermine Caretaker Governor Kuel Aguer Kuel because the governor will not behave as Malong's 'stooge.'

Winston Churchill once said it is an appeaser who feeds the crocodile hoping it will eat him last. This is what is happening in Northern Bahr al Ghazal state (NBGs). Known by his nickname “King” Paul Malong Awan Anei, the “king” is once again set to prove to the doubters that he is the true “king” of Aweil.  As the saying goes, what goes round comes round. Unbeknown to many people, caretaker governor Kuel Aguer Kuel is among those who appeases General Paul and cheers him on as he humiliated others, kicking the true SPLM members out of parliament, arresting people at willl, and releasing them when he wishes without bringing them before court of law. This has been the way NBGs was governed by King General Paul Malong Awan. This time around it is his turn to receive the blows from King Paul. This is the “King” they molded themselves along with other Aweil elders. In 2010 elections, General Dau Aturjong Nyuol tried in vain to challenge General Paul Malong in the general elections but President Kiir stood with the later in the SPLM party alienating the former as SPLM candidates to the surprise of many people.

Aturjong then decided to run for election as an independent candidate. He had an overwhelming support from the people, but votes were rigged in favour of King Paul Malong to continue as governor despite rejection by the people. Prior to the current crisis, Aweil youth, elders, and intellectuals alike had petitioned President Kiir to remove King Paul from the governorship. This was because of the way he was running the state. Many people were dissatisfied with his iron fist ruling and suppression of freedom of speech. The state was the most corrupt in the country according to USAID. The president never heeded the call of the people. Malong’s era of governorship was marred with corruption and gross negligence of development. Lives deteriorated, hospitals had no medicines and beds, roads were in sorry state, teachers’ salaries were pocketed by the government officials, state revenues were sent to blocked account whose only signatory is King Paul Malong, and three quarters of the people in the state went to bed on daily basis with an empty stomach. Children were malnourished and many people died of preventable diseases.

How did King Paul get his nick name?

For years, Paul Malong Awan became the most vicious and ruthless Aweilians we have ever seen. He is now worth 80 wives, and he has also trained private militias that he uses to terrorize his opponents. He also made sure the police commissioner in the state is his loyalist. He manipulated justice system and the intelligence in the state, and therefore he made himself the most feared person. He would arrest, murder, or maim his opponents and no one could question his behaviours. He could confiscate someone's daughter or beautiful wife, and you could not dare question him. In those days one would simply get arrested if you dared speak “good English” near him. Anything good was only reserved for him.

In the famous December 15 2013 Juba massacre, the former governor of Northern Bahr al Ghazal now Chief of General Staff was said to have commanded the killing of civilians in Juba. If this allegation is anything to go by, then, that would mark the downfall of the “king” and he would serve the rest of his days in jail. In April, having secretly trained tribal militia known as Mathiang Anyor and sent them to quell rebellion, Paul was elevated to the position of Chief of General Staff. According to some authentic sources, President Kiir Mayardit appointed General Paul Malong after he threatened to withdraw Aweil’s boys from trenches in Bentiu, Malakal, and Jonglei back to Northern Bahr al Ghazal state. Kiir caved in and appointed him Chief of General Staff. King Paul then retained the party chairmanship in NBGs in contravention to the provisions of constitution that says army should be separate from politics, but in a country where individuals are the constitution and the country is governed based on their will, King Paul once again wanted to prove to people of Aweil that he is still in charge of NBGs and rules it through remote control.

King Paul recommended the appointment of current caretaker governor Kuel Aguer Kuel under illusion that he is his man, but after realizing that the caretaker governor is not a stooge as he thought, he turns against him and is now in the forefront campaigning for the removal of the man he himself recommended to the president.

Early this month, Chief of General Staff, General King Paul Malong Awan Anei went to NBGs to reshuffle SPLM and to bring his loyalist on board. This has happened amid confrontations between caretaker governor Kuel Aguer Kuel and the so called Malong’s boys. Kuel removed Malong’s boys in the state government for the gross mismanagement of the public funds and brutal corruption that has dogged NBGs for years. Prior to this, King Paul was said to have bought sixty vehicles and distributed them to his boys. He also gave them SSP 30,000 each and told them to go and bite the caretaker governor Kuel Aguer Kuel now that he has given them “teeth.” King Paul then went to Northern Bar al Ghazal state and overhauled the structure of the SPLM bringing in new faces and removing old comrades that opposed him, and he arrested the SPLM state deputy chairman Athian Teng and stripped him of his position as SPLM deputy Chairman replacing him with Jel Mangok, one of his boys. Yel Deng Nguel was also arrested on allegations that he had threatened to slap King Paul in the meeting. All these allegations were proved to be a ploy to arrest them. None of them was charged in a court of law. The caretaker governor was not spared too. He was removed from being a member of SPLM on allegations that he has contravened party rules and is now waiting his fate.

Kuel's crime is having removed the corrupt boys of King Paul and replaced them with hardworking individuals who have the state at heart. He also nationalized Warawar market which generated millions of pounds a year to the former governor. The revenues from this market were being used by King General Paul Malong as his pocket money. The confiscation of the market spelled the demise of the caretaker governor. For starters, Warawar market is a big market at the national border between NBGs and Kordofan in Sudan. The market has been personal property of King Paul, using the revenues on personal projects for close to 22 years. Kuel Aguer is now waiting his fate; he would be replaced anytime with loyalist whose work is to appease his master in Juba. Is king also set to swallow the big fish that nurtured him?

The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made are the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.