Albino Bol Dhieu, embattled leader of South Sudan’s National Youth Union, rejected his sacking by youth minister, pledging to file a lawsuit to be reinstated.
Bol, whose term in office ended in March, was recently removed through an order issued by minister of youth and sports, Nadia Arop Dudi. The minister set up a provisional committee to prepare for elections.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Saturday, Bol said the minister’s decision was unacceptable and that he would move to challenge the decision in court.
The youth leader further said his dismissal was not rational and violated the constitutional principle of the South Sudan youth body. Bol stressed that he is the legitimate leader of the youth union.
“The decision does not concern us at all, as it was an individual decision. The minister used articles of the ministry of youth, and not the ones of the youth union,” he said.
Bol maintains that he did not refuse to conduct fresh elections after his term in office ended.
“I had presented a budget for the general conference to the ministry before my term ended, so I did not refuse to organize the general conference for youth. I wanted to hand over the union to South Sudan youth the same way it was handed over to me when I was elected,” he said.
“I want to tell South Sudan youth that I didn’t refuse to hand over the office. If the ministry of youth or the government approves the budget, I am ready to hold the general conference,” he stressed.
Bol was elected South Sudan National Youth Union president in March 2015. Under the term of office of the union’s constitution, the term of the elected executive body lasts for four years.
Bol vowed a legal battle unless the minister of youth reverses her order to fire him. “I am ready to sue the minister because it is a legal issue and it is connected with my political future,” he said.
According to Albino, furniture, documents and other equipment were recently taken from the office of the youth union on the orders of the youth minister.
“I want to say that it is not good because the office of the youth union is a public property for South Sudan youth,” he said. “Some of our documents were found strewn across the streets and other documents were burnt,” he added.
He said President Salva Kiir would not be involved in his legal battle against the youth minister.
” I have not met the president over the issue because it has nothing to do with the president. The president may intervene when the legal side fails to resolve the problem,” he said.
“But I am planning to meet the president to give him the report after my trip to the United States of America where I represented the youth and civil society. I also met senior US officials,” he added.
Bol pointed out that they would ask President Kiir to lift the immunity of the youth minister so that she can appear in court if she does not reverse the order.
“The minister has interfered in the union’s affairs, so it is our right to sue the minister. She has also violated the law of the youth union, so it is a legal matter,” he said.