The ousted Greater Pibor Area Administrator David Yau Yau has consulted with President Salva Kiir in Juba following his removal from office and he is expected to be given a new appointment at the national level and to support a peaceful transfer of power in Pibor, Kiir’s office said Sunday.
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has already met with Yau Yau since his recent arrival from Pibor and will Monday hold a consultative meeting with Yau Yau and other stakeholders of the newly established Boma State, according to Akot Lual Areech, presidential envoy on Pibor affairs.
This comes after Jonglei Deputy Governor Baba Medan was picked over Yau Yau for the goverorship of the newly created Boma State, which will serve as the successor government to the Greater Pibor Area Administration.
Akot, who was one of the lead negotiators during the peace talks that ended the conflict between SPLA and the SSDM-Cobra Faction, denied that there is military tension in Pibor as a result of the removal of Yau Yau from the position of chief administrator, asserting he was consulted by the president and he would soon be given a new appointment at the national level in Juba.
“Yes, Yau Yau has been removed from the position of chief administrator. These are normal changes and Yau Yau knows it is a normal practice. He was consulted by the president and he accepted and came to Juba. He has met the president twice since he came from Pibor. He met the president yesterday (Saturday) and he will meet again with the president on Monday as part of the representatives from greater Pibor community. The president will meet with all different groups from greater Pibor and Yau Yau is one of the leaders who will be in that,” Akot explained.
Akot said he and Yau Yau will then go to Pibor with the new appointed governor after the consultative meeting with different groups comprising women, youths, elders and politicians from the area who are in Juba.
“After this meeting, Yau Yau and I will go to Pibor to go and talk to the people there. All of us will go. We have agreed to this because peace and stability is paramount. The people of greater Pibor need peace, they need development, they need security and they need to rebuild their lives,” he said.
“This is what the president and the leaders of Greater Pibor are working on to improve their lives,” he said. Akot said President Kiir has good intention to develop Yau Yau to become a national figure.
“The president has good plan for Yau Yau. He wants him to develop and grow to become a national figure. So he wants him first to come to Juba and serve the people of the whole country so that he can do the good things he has done in Greater Pibor. He wants him to be known in the country.”
“The president does not want Yau Yau to remain at the level of Pibor. He wants him to grow. This is why he wants him in Juba,” he said.
For his part, Yau Yau said he is in Juba and confirmed that he has met the president and agreed to work with him to support the peace process and to serve in any capacity given to him by the president anywhere in the country.
“I am not in Gumuruk. I am in Juba. Now I am with comrade Akot Lual. Everything here is okay. We are fine. There is no problem. People in greater Pibor are also fine. There is no problem. Those speculations about tension in Pibor are not correct. Everything there is okay,” he said.
Yau Yau said he had come to Juba on the request of the president to meet with him and the leadership of the country on how best the people and leaders of Greater Pibor could contribute towards peace implementation in order for the country to focus attention on development.
“I have met the president today (Saturday) and our discussions were cordial and fruitful. I have learned a lot from him and I am ready to serve in any capacity,” said Yauyau when asked what he discussed with the president.
“The president told me he wants to work with young people and he said he has a good plan for me. He did not tell me the details of the plan but I accepted because he is the leader and he knows where he will put me. I can not choose,” said Yau Yau.
File photo: Cobra Faction leader David Yau Yau
Related:
GPAA spokesman downplays military tensions in Pibor after removal of Yau Yau (1 Jan.)