SPLA-IO forces in Western Bahr el Ghazal State remain divided over the reception of the newly appointed governor.
Last week, President Salva Kiir Mayardit issued the presidential decree removing Sarah Cleto from her position and appointing Emmanuel Primo Okello who hails from the same Wau County as the former governor.
Following the appointment, rumors have been circulating that the new governor does not meet the aspirations of some sections of the communities and that he will not be allowed to land in Wau.
Brigadier General Gabriel Bol Wek of the SPLA-IO Brigade 4 in Watho-lelo in Jur River County emphasized that they have rejected the newly appointed governor and will not allow him to take up the position.
“My name is Brigadier General Gabriel Bol Wek, the commander of Brigade 4 in Watho-lelo and we the sons of Jur River have rejected the new governor for some reasons. I do not have a personal problem. Mboro Payam where Sarah Cleto comes from has already led and this is where the new governor hails from. Does it mean that it was the only one payam that struggled in Western Bahr el Ghazal State?” he questioned and added: “Secondly, we rejected the coming of Governor Emmanuel Primo Okello based on some reasons but I do not want problems because I am a kind of person that needs peace. The issue of the naming of Clement Mboro Bridge is a potential problem in the state, especially to the Jur River community. There is currently a problem involving the community over land between Jur and Fertites and the payam aggravating those is Mboro Payam.”
“We as soldiers do not divide people along tribal lines and Dr. Riek is our chairman and if he has seen that the people from Jur River are not capable of leading Western Bahr el Ghazal, let him look for another person to govern that state. We are not refusing to our brothers the Fertites and they are there in Raja, Baggari, Bazia but we have rejected the appointment of a governor from the same payam,” Gen. Bol added.
He said that if First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar asks why the Jur River County community rejected Primo’s appointment and threatens to dismiss them from the SPLA-IO, they are ready to leave the group.
On Sunday, all the SPLA-IO high-ranking officers from Jur River County were seen gathered on the eastern bank at Kabur-Ngab holding a strategic meeting aimed at resisting the reception of the new governor in Wau.
The SPLA-IO spokesperson in the state, Col. Uku Manwee, dismissed the allegations that some of their forces are opposed to the new governor and said all their troops are ready to participate in the scheduled reception of the new governor fully.
“There are rumors that the headquarters of SPLA-IO in Western Bahr el Ghazal State does not want the newly appointed governor but there is nothing like this in the military headquarters. There is information that the SPLA-IO forces do not want the new governor and that they will create insecurity when he comes,” he said. “There is nothing like that in the SPLA-IO. Our commander ordered all brigades to welcome the governor because no one is against the order of the president. If anyone does not attend, it will mean that they are moving in the wrong direction and this is what Major General Benson Joseph said.”
“Some people are saying that in Wau the IO forces do not want the new governor and this is why Major General Joseph has made it clear in the media so that everybody understands that all of them are ready to welcome the governor,” Col. Manwee added.