Aweil community want Kiir and ex-army chief to reconcile

[Elisabeth Janaina]

Aweil community want Kiir and ex-army chief to reconcile

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May 28, 2017 (JUBA) - The Aweil community in South Sudan have called
for reconciliation between President Salva Kiir and the former chief
of staff for South Sudan army (SPLA), Paul Malong Awan.

JPEG - 29.8 kb
S Sudan’s President Salva Kiir is received by former Chief of General
Staff of the SPLA Paul Malong Awan at the airport in Juba March 6,
2015 (Reuters)

The community, in a statement issued on Saturday, said Awan’s removal
from his position should not affect his decade-long relationship with
the president simply over divergence in opinion.

“We believe that the near-crisis involving his sacking is a considered
matter of your administration and should not be allowed to be
exploited by war merchants, or ethno-regional players who, by any
statistical measure, are rooting against the stability of the
country”, partly reads the community’s statement.

It further called for calm among communities, while urging elders and
representatives in different Parliaments to stand behind the
reconciliation effort so that this matter is quickly put to rest.

“Gen. Malong deserves a special pat on the back or a medal of honor
for having gracefully and caringly handled the delicate situation
following his unceremonious discharge. He has already, in our humble
view, won the admiration of many South Sudanese for such a rare
demonstration of statesmanship,” noted the statement.

“Our position as a community is that of peace and integrity of the
country. We call upon you, Mr. President, to allow General Malong to
exercise his freedoms, including freedom of movement to any place of
his choice as a responsible citizen of this country,” it added.

President Kiir relieved the former army chief from his position, but
the decree announced on the state-owned television cited no reasons.

Malong was replaced by Lt. General James Ajonga Mawut, who was the
deputy chief of general staff for administration and finance.

The removal of the former army chief of general staff came as the army
was repeatedly accused of gross human rights violations, rape,
atrocities and war crimes on civilians in conflict-affected areas.

Malong, who also recruited a notorious militia from his home region,
had been accused of failing to crack down on abuses by the SPLA.

The conflict in South Sudan had driven over a million children out of
the country, the United Nations recently said, warning that the future
of a generation is ‘on the brink.’

(ST)