Malong reinstate General Stephen Buay’s rank, promotes him to Lieutenant General

JUBA – South Sudan’s former army chief and holdout opposition leader, General Paul Malong Awan Anei has issued a decree reinstating General Stephen Buay Rolnyang’s rank of Major-General and then promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant General in South Sudan United Front two days day after Buay declared his intention to join him.

Buay was a highly respected South Sudan army commander who was stripped of his rank and dismissed from the service in 2019 by a military court in a trial that was mostly conducted in secrecy and out of President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s sight.

Buay who was being kept in jail while the trial was ongoing had stated in an audio message that the judge found no evidence to support claims by ex-militia commander, General Puljang Top, that he was planning to rebel to opposition forces.

On Monday, he declared his intention to join South Sudan United Front under Malong and accused a group of senior government officials as being National Congress Party extensions in South Sudan and who have taken over the country’s presidency manipulating all decisions being taken by the president.

In an order this afternoon, Malong said he has reinstated General Buay to his rank of Major-General and promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant General. The order seen by Sudans Post is effective immediately.

In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by the article 53, read together with article 53.1 of the South Sudan United Front/Army Constitution, 2021 AD., I, Gen. Paul Malong Awan Anei, Chairman & Commander -in-Chief (C-IN-C) of SSUF/A, do hereby reinstating Cdr. Stephen Buoy Rolnyang to the rank of Major General and, promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in the South Sudan United Front/Army,” Malong said in his order.

“This order shall come into force from the date of its signature by the Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUFIA),” the order adds.