South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed Upper Nile State Governor James Odhok Oyay amid intensifying clashes between government forces and the White Army, an ethnic militia. The conflict, centered around the strategic town of Nasir near the Ethiopian border, highlights escalating tensions between Kiir and his political rival, First Vice President Riek Machar. The move has drawn backlash from Machar’s SPLM-IO party, which sees it as a violation of the 2018 peace agreement.
The White Army, largely composed of ethnic Nuer youths and previously aligned with Machar during the 2013-2018 civil war, regained control of Nasir from government forces, prompting Kiir’s drastic action. In addition to dismissing Oyay, Kiir replaced him with Lieutenant General James Koang Chuol, a native of Nasir.
The situation has already displaced 50,000 people since February, with fears of a relapse into full-scale conflict just seven years after the country’s civil war ended. The SPLM-IO, accusing Kiir of undermining the peace process, had partially withdrawn from the 2018 accord in protest of recent arrests of its members by Kiir’s government.
The UN has warned of worsening conditions as the nation teeters on the brink of renewed instability.
Source: Read more