South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Tuesday night in a presidential decree, reinstated four members of the Northern Bahr el Ghazal state assembly who were rejected by the state government and their party without clear reasons.
The MPs were elected in the 2010 elections before the independence of South Sudan and they also served in the former Lol State assembly when the country adopted the 32 states system.
However, during the reconstitution of the state assemblies as per the 2018 peace agreement, the four were left out.
But on Tuesday, President Kiir reinstated Ernest Mangok Mangok, Angok Achuol Barjok, Achak Thiep Thiep, and Majok Wol Wol.
In the same decree, he revoked the appointment of four other members; Moses Atak Deng, John Amet, Mario Garang Deng, and Tito Pedhi Kolong.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, James Jok Lual, the State SPLM secretary for political affairs, said the party has reinstated the four members after all outstanding issues were addressed.
He disclosed that another member was not reinstated on reason best known by the party’s top leadership.
“We have reinstated them back as a party after the all problems that restricted them were resolved,” said Jok. “They are supposed to be five but the information we are getting now is about four of them and we don’t know because this is decided by the highest authority of our party.”
Ernest Mangok Mangok who has been reinstated in the state assembly declared his loyalty to the SPLM party saying disagreements happen
“I just joined the SPLM when I was very young and I joined the liberation struggle because I believed in the core values of the SPLM in delivering justice and liberating the people of South Sudan. And the SPLM is still sticking to that. We rally behind President Kiir Mayardit and the rest of the SPLM leaders. In any family people disagree to agree or agree to disagree,” he said.
For his part, Aweil Community Based Organizations Forum (ACBOF)’S Executive Director, Santino Deng Ngong welcomed the move.
“It is actually in line with the revitalized peace agreement because it was an effect of the defunct 32 States that led to the relieved of the current members who have been reinstated,” said Deng. “We thank the government and the party for making it possible to reinstate them.”