Akol welcomes removal but expresses ‘little disappointment’ over revoked governorship

JUBA – The former Director-General of South Sudan’s National Security Service (NSS) Internal Security Bureau (ISB), General Akol Koor Kuc, has welcomed his dismissal by President Salva Kiir but voiced what he termed “a little disappointment” over the revocation of his appointment as governor of Warrap State.

In a presidential decree broadcast last Wednesday on South Sudan’s state-owned media, South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), Kiir removed Akol from his post as Director-General of the NSS. Akol had held the position since July 9, 2011, the day South Sudan gained independence from Sudan.

In a separate decree, also aired on state television, Kiir appointed Akol as governor of Warrap State, the president’s restive home region. However, in a surprise move seven days later, and just hours after Akol returned to South Sudan from a medical leave in the United Arab Emirates, Kiir revoked his appointment as Warrap governor.

Speculation circulated that Akol, who appeared visibly upset when he disembarked from a flydubai flight at Juba International Airport, was being placed under house arrest. Security officials, however, dismissed those rumors when approached by Sudans Post.

In a statement issued this evening, Akol expressed gratitude for his removal as ISB chief, thanking President Kiir for entrusting him with leadership of the controversial security agency, which has gained notoriety for human rights abuses and the suppression of opposition figures.

“I would like to appreciate H.E. the President for the opportunity and the trust he bestowed upon me during my thirteen (13) years of service as the Director-General of the Internal Security Bureau (ISB),” Akol said, calling it “an honour” to have worked in one of the “most sensitive and important institutions in the country.”

While Akol acknowledged his dismissal, he also expressed dissatisfaction with his brief appointment and subsequent removal as governor of Warrap State. He dismissed rumors that his ousting was linked to a planned coup, a suggestion he did not directly address but referred to as “flying rumours.”

“Despite my little disappointment following my recent appointment to the gubernatorial position as Governor of Warrap State, its subsequent revocation and the ensuing rumours flying around, I want to assure the public that I am one of those cadres trained, tested, committed, and loyal to the Revolution,” Akol stated.

“I will never deviate from the line of the Revolution. One of the basic principles of the cadres of the Revolution is that a cadre is the first to attack and the last to withdraw. We are still at the phase of being attacked as a Revolution and therefore I will be the last to withdraw,” he concluded, reaffirming his “sincere gratitude and steadfastness in supporting your able leadership.”