Ousted Western Equatoria governor withdraws from Yambio after removal

YAMBIO – Former Western Equatoria State Governor Alfred Futuyo Karaba has left Yambio for an undisclosed location following his dismissal by President Salva Kiir, raising tensions in the state capital, residents and security sources said on Tuesday.

Futuyo, a senior member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), was removed in a series of presidential decrees issued late Monday, along with Vice President James Wani Igga and other senior officials. His party has rejected the move, calling it a violation of the 2018 peace agreement.

According to one of Futuyo’s security personnel, the ousted governor left Yambio overnight, with his bodyguards escorting him out of the town.

“The gunshots yesterday were meant to scare people so that we could move out of Yambio,” the guard told Sudans Post by phone from an undisclosed location. “We are now in an unknown place, and we will await further orders from our boss.”

Gunfire was reported in parts of Yambio on Monday night, with several residents confirming hearing heavy shooting near the State Secretariat and the governor’s residence.

“There were heavy gunshots near the State House, and the situation is very tense,” a resident of Hai Naduru said. Another local in the Pozuo area said security forces were patrolling the streets, restricting movement in the town.

Authorities have not issued an official statement on the situation in Yambio, but sources within the local government said security forces had been deployed to prevent unrest.

Meanwhile, in Source Yubu, Tambura County, some community members were seen celebrating Futuyo’s removal. “We are happy about the president’s decision,” a local resident said. “Futuyo’s leadership was divisive, and his removal is a relief for many of us.”

The SPLM-IO has strongly condemned the governor’s dismissal, calling it an attack on the power-sharing agreement.