The commissioner of Lakes State’s Wulu County has been suspended over allegations that he allowed mineral exploration without state approval, officials said on Tuesday.
Justin Majok Manyiel, a member of the Other Political Parties (OPP), was suspended on Saturday by Lakes State Governor Gen. Rin Tueny Mabor over what the state described as administrative violations.
Lakes State’s Acting Information Minister William Koji told Radio Tamazuj that Manyiel’s suspension was “administrative” but declined to give further details.
“The executive director will handle the county’s administrative matters in the commissioner’s absence,” Koji said, adding that the move was not politically motivated.
Manyiel, who was appointed under a 2018 peace deal that established a power-sharing government, said his suspension resulted from a “misunderstanding” with the governor.
He accused the county’s executive director of submitting an “incorrect report” alleging that he had allowed a company, White Water Mineral and Engineering, to prospect for minerals without state approval.
The company conducted an exploratory assessment in Gulmar and Makhor—areas in Bahrgel Payam—but found no minerals, Manyiel said.
“The communities of the two areas have been in conflict because they were expecting minerals there, but the company came and detected none,” he explained.
White Water Company’s Director Justin Chol Mapuor confirmed that his team had sought permission from the county commissioner but not the state government.
“Security forces briefly detained my team in Rumbek before releasing them after the search of the vehicle,” he said.
Civil society activist Daniel Laat Kon said the commissioner’s suspension appeared to be administrative, with no clear political link.
Governor Rin belongs to the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), led by President Salva Kiir.