A serving prison officer over the weekend resigned his position as the interim chairperson of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party in Gogrial West County in Warrap State.
In his resignation letter seen by Radio Tamazuj, Major Joseph Ngong Deng, who in the past served as the commissioner of Kuec East County in the now-defunct Gogrial State, said he quit in response to President Salva Kiir’s recent order barring servicemen.
“Allow me exit from SPLM position in Gogrial West County in accordance to presidential order No. 27 dated 31 December 2021 prohibiting all regular forces from politics and community associations,” Major Ngong wrote. “I came to politics via secondment from the community as the former commissioner of Kuec East in defunct Gogrial State and my services ended when the president reversed the 32 to 10 states as part of the revitalized peace agreement.”
He added that he was working well as SPLM county chairperson and had good working relations with his party superiors in the state but had to resign to heed the president’s directive because he is still serving at the rank of Major in the prisons service.
“I was a red army (child) soldier and I will remain an SPLM supporter whether in uniform or not. I was very good with my SPLM chairman of Warrap State and he is a good person,” Major Ngong said.
For his part, Warrap State SPLM Secretary-General Longar Malual confirmed Major Ngong’s resignation but said his office will make a statement at a later date.
“I received the resignation and I am waiting for the party chairman who is not in the office at the moment. We have to sit in the office and after that, we will release a statement,” Malual said.