2 county commissioners, head of commission suspended from party over defiance

JUBA, JUNE 21, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – At least two South Sudan opposition-nominated county commissioners and one head of independent commission were on Wednesday suspended from the country’s National Democratic Movement (NDM) for defying orders.

In a statement signed by its spokesman Mahmoud Akot, NDM said it has suspended Gatluak Nyang, the commissioner of Mayendit County in Unity State, Nyok Malual, the commissioner of Pigi County in Jonglei, and the head of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) in Upper Nile state.

“The party had earlier revoked their nominations to those positions and directed them to tender their resignations, but they refused to comply with that order,” the statement a copy of which was dispatched to Sudans Post reads in part.

The statement said that the group has formed a committee to investigate the three senior government officials fort what it said is a violation of its basic rules and revealed that the NDM had wrote to President Kiir asking him to revoke the appointment of the officials but was not heard.

“In the same meeting the NEC has further decided to subject them to disciplinary measures. A committee has been formed to investigate them for violating the provisions of the Basic Rules of the NDM, 2016 (as amended),” it said.

“It is worth noting that the NDM had written to the appointing authority as per R-ARCSS revoking their nominations and requesting the appointment of replacements on 29 May 2022, 8 September 2022 and 6 June 2023, respectively, for Gatluak, Nyok and Yoannes.

“No orders relieving them from office have been issued up to the time of writing. Therefore, they were ordered by NEC on 11th and 12th of June 2023 to resign by the 21^st at the latest. They defied this order It goes without saying that the same body that recommends appointment reserves the full right to revoke that recommendation whenever it sees fit,” it added.

In December last year, the British government imposed sanctions on Gatluak and his Koch county counterparts Koang Biel – better known as Koang Nyaluargo – for commanding forces involved in human rights abuses, such as rape and extrajudicial killings.