Lomoro alarmed by ‘serious indication’ Kiir not comfortable with presidential ministers

JUBA – South Sudan’s cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomoro has raised alarms that continued replacement for the country’s ministers of presidential affairs are serious indications that President Salva Kiir Mayardit is not happy with those being appointed to the important ministry.

In 2020, Kiir dismissed Mayiik Ayii Deng who was appointed in 2016 in the wake of the Bahr el Ghazal highway scandal in which the president expressed anger over distortion of the contract which was being handled by Mayiik.

Nhial was appointed to replace him, but recent calls for him to replace President Salva Kiir Mayardit as president by some senior SPLM party leaders reportedly led to his last week’s removal from the office.

Long-time ally of Kiir and former foreign minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin was appointed to replace him. He was sworn into office on Monday in a ceremony administered by the Chief Justice Chan Reec Madut.

Speaking following the swearing in ceremony, cabinet minister Elia Lomoro expressed concerns that the continued change of ministers at the ministry of presidential affairs is an indication that Kiir is not impressed by those he appoint into the important position.

Lomoro urged the new minister, Marial, and other colleagues to work for, but not with the president saying if he ever felt unhappy, he would then again remove the newly appointed minister.

“Mr. President, since the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGONU) was constituted, it is barely one year and two months now and in that period Mr. President, you are not happy and you have changed ministers in the new ministry of presidential affairs,” Lomoro said.

“He (Barnaba Marial Benjamin) is the third minister and is a very serious indication of your discomfort and I want to advice my colleague that this office needs stability,” the senior government official who is under United States sanctions for peace spoiling added.

He said: “All of us must work for the president and not with the president. So we all work for him and if he is not happy, there definitely going to be changes and as senior members of the government, we will be uncomfortable if the government is destabilized because of lack of confidence of the president for the person assigned to take the job.”