The caretaker governor of South Sudan’s Lakes State responded Tuesday to parliament’s vote yesterday that he be removed from office over rising lawlessness in the state.
Yesterday, South Sudan’s National Legislative Assembly voted unanimously to recommend that President Salva Kiir remove Lakes State caretaker military governor Matur Chut Dhuol, citing continued insecurity in the state that has resulted in hundreds of deaths in recent months.
The unrest escalated after the murder of paramount chief Apareer Chut Dhuol, the caretaker governor’s older brother, three weeks ago, and a parliamentary fact-finding committee told the national legislature yesterday that citizens of Lakes had lost trust in Dhuol’s leadership.
Dhuol was appointed to his position January 2013 by President Kiir after the president ousted elected governor Eng. Chol Tong Mayai.
Caretaker governor Dhuol told Radio Tamazuj Tuesday that insecurity is a general problem facing all of South Sudan and that it should not be the only reason for his removal from office.
Dhuol further charged that if there is to be accountability it should start in Central Equatoria state, where he said thousands of civilians were killed in December last year.
“Thousands of people were killed in Juba, Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity states, was there any government official impeached?” he asked.
Dhuol also denied reports that over 300 people were lost in vengeance killings over the last four months in Lakes state, as the National Defense Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk told parliament yesterday.
“I can say that vendetta killings is everywhere in the world. I am now working to restore peace and stability and citizens on the ground are happy about my performance,” Dhuol said.
Incomplete disarmament
The caretaker governor accused certain politicians in Juba of lobbying for his removal from office.
“Those who are behind such a move are Paul Mayom Akech, David Deng Athorblei, and Deng Deng Monydit,” he charged. “The same politicians were the ones who ousted former Lakes governor Chol Tong Mayai.”
South Sudan’s Transitional Constitution of 2011 stipulates that the President can remove a state governor in the event of a crisis and that sub-elections should be held within 60 days.
Dhuol also questioned powers of the parliament, saying government officials should have been immediately summoned following unfolding insecurity in the nation’s capital Juba.
He claimed that stability has been restored in Lakes following the murder of his elder brother chief and said that the perpetrator was arrested Monday night.
Dhuol cited an ongoing disarmament as proof of his action to arrest the situation. He said that over 560 Kalashnikov rifles have been collected in Rumbek East County and about 20 heavy machine guns were collected in Rumbek Centre recently.
Still, he blamed lack of police for the incomplete disarmament, and urged the National Interior Ministry to send more police personnel to carry out a weapons collection campaign across the state.
Governor’s daughter murders pregnant woman
Separately, the caretaker governor confirmed that his daughter killed a pregnant woman in the state.
Dhuol further said his daughter was arrested awaiting investigations.
“My daughter is married and the quarrel started when a goat went onto a farm,” he said.
He said it was a personal crime and that it would not affect his position as state governor.
Related:
Politics: S. Sudan parliament votes to remove Lakes State governor
Lawlessness in Lakes State after chief’s murder
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