Kiir ruling with decrees, militarizing country – critic

JUBA – A prominent critic of South Sudan’s government is saying that President Salva Kiir Mayardit is ruling the world’s youngest country with decrees and militarizing it as it happened in Uganda during the era of Idi Amin.

This comes after the South Sudanese head of state issued four presidential decrees yesterday night in which he appointed a replacement for minister of mining who had resigned in August following split in the main armed opposition SPLM/SPLA (IO).

Kiir also transferred a senior army commander from the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) to South Sudan National Security Service, before appointing him as the deputy director general of general intelligence bureau.

In another decree the same night, Kiir promoted two senior diplomats from the country’s ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation, to grade-three ambassadors with immediate effects.

In a social media post, Activist Wani Michael said there is no difference between President Salva Kiir Mayardit and former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, but claimed that the Ugandan president was better than Kiir.

“Idi Amin ruled Uganda through decrees and militarized Uganda. President Kiir is ruling South Sudan through decrees and militarizing the country,” Michael claimed in a Facebook post.

“At least, Amin did some great work on infrastructural development unlike Kiir. What’s the difference?” he asked.