Major General Clement Wani Konga accepted President Salva Kiir’s decision to remove him as the Governor of Central Equatoria on Monday. This move came after Kiir sacked two Equatorain governors on Sunday, which was announced on South Sudan’s own television channel.
Konga also promised to support the newly appointed caretaker governor of CES, Juma Ali Malou, during a press conference held in Juba on Monday. In the meantime, his sacked colleague in Western Equatoria remained silent after he was reportedly blocked from traveling. The situation in Juba has remained calm on Monday afternoon following the release of the two governors.
Call for calm
Speaking on Monday, the ousted governor Konga said that President Kiir did not consult with him about removing him before doing so. However, he said he welcome the decision made by the president.
Referring to the tensions in Juba he said, “I have learnt that today many shops have not opened, there is no war, what has taken place is a rotating change, so everybody has to go ahead with his business. If you don’t go to the field today, you will have nothing to eat. So it is better for anybody for trader to open their shop,” Konga said.
“Today, I have come to tell the people of Central Equatoria State that yesterday I have been relieved as the governor of this state after a long service,” Konga said. He appreciated the current president for trusting him all these years.
“Upon the people of South Sudan, I call for unity, without unity there will be never stability, there will be never peace,” Konga said. “I have said this but we are not truly united, let us come together as brothers and sisters and forgot what taken place in the past and let us take a new line.”
“Everybody has been hearing that there are some problems in the state since October 2014. These problems are there, and there is need that these problems need to be sorted instead of dragging people into a war,” he added.
Previous remarks
In March, Governor of Central Equatoria State (CES) Clement Wani Konga warned in a speech that insecurity could provoke a response from Equatorians. He blamed pastoralists from neighboring areas for a number of recent violent incidents.
In an address to state members of parliament and cabinet, Konga said, “What is taking place in Western Equatoria now and in Central Equatoria, soon in Eastern Equatoria, is going to compel the people of Equatoria to take up arms… and I don’t want this.”
“You have grass and were asked to go back to where you came from be it Mundari or Dinka Bor,” Konga said, apparently referring to various pastoralist tribes including his own, the Mundari. “All these incidences are uncalled for and therefore as the state governor we deeply regret and condemned in the strongest teams this heinous behavior,” he said.
“This is a question we are questioning, what has happened that the national army is accompanying tribal cattle raiders to raid a cattle camp? Is there preference by the national army for a specific group?” said Konga, overtly accusing army soldiers of having assisted the Dinka Bor raiders.
Related:
Kiir sacks two Equatorian governors (16 August 2015)