Machar sacks oil minister as chair of SPLM-IO youth wing

JUBA – South Sudan’s First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny who doubles as the chairman and commander in chief of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) has removed minister of petroleum, Puok Kang Chuol, as the chairman of the SPLM-IO Youth League, a senior opposition official said.

Puot has been the leader of the SPLM-IO youth body since the outbreak of the conflict in Juba in 2013. His appointment as minister of petroleum in the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGONU) in 2020 on the SPLM-IO ticket revived power wrangles within the SPLM-IO youth body as many vied for his position.

Speaking to Sudans Post this evening, a senior SPLM-IO official who is directly in contact with First Vice President Machar said Minister Puot was removed, along with his deputy Saed Bandas, during the fourth SPLM-IO National Liberation Council meeting in Juba last week.

“The Chairman and Commander in Chief of the SPLM/SPLA-IO Dr. Riek Machar Teny who is also the First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan has removed Cde. Puot Kang as the chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition Youth League,” the official, who requested not to be named, said.

The official said the removal of Cde. Puot Kang was effectively the dissolution of the SPLM-IO National Youth League executive board as only the Secretary-General Jackson Wani was the only official left acting by the prominent South Sudanese opposition leader.

“This is effectively means that the executive board of Cde Puot Kang Chuol has been dissolved by the chairman through our recommendation and his deputy Cde. Saed Bandas has also been removed and the only person running the SPLM-IO Youth League affairs now is Cde Jackson Wani who is the acting chairperson,” the official said.

When asked as to why the minister was ousted from his position, the senior opposition official said: “The SPLM-IO Constitution provides that a person who is a youth shall be between 15 and 35 and as such Puot and Saed are above that age limit and that is why they cannot run the youth affairs when they are not youth.”