SPLM party to deliberate on fate of Unity state governor  

JUBA – The ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party under President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Wednesday said it has not yet decided on the fate of the Governor of Unity State Dr. Joseph Nguen Manytuil Wejang who was impeached by the Council of States and is preparing to do so.

On Monday, the Council of States passed a vote of no-confidence against Dr. Manytuil over the recent extrajudicial execution of four opposition commanders allied to rebel leader Gen. Stephen Buay Rolnyang.

Speaking following an SPLM meeting in Juba on Wednesday afternoon, Kuol Atem, the SPLM Secretary for Political Affairs, said the party will take convene a high-level meeting soon to make a decision as to if it will drop the governor of Unity State from the gubernatorial position.

“We are going for more consultations. We have not rejected it and we have not accepted it because it would have been done through the party,” Atem told reporters at the SPLM General Secretarial on Wednesday afternoon.

Atem blamed lawmakers representing the ruling party for supporting the impeachment motion against Manytuil without first referring the matter to the party.

“The members of the SPLM would have withdrawn from the motion that was raised there and come to meet the party leadership so that the party would be the one to lead the process until they reach the decisions,” Atem said.

He said President Kiir has launched an investigation into the killing of soldiers in Mayom County.

“President Salva Kiir Mayardit who is also the chairman of the SPLM party has formed an investigation committee, so it will be after the report of the investigation that we will come up with one decision,” the senior party official said.

On Tuesday, the Council of States written to President Salva Kiir Mayardit asking him to sack the Governor of Unity State, Dr. Joseph Nguen Manytuil.

The Upper House criticized the governor for failing to curtail a series of deadly incidents of violence in the oil-rich state, since the beginning of this year.

The letter signed by Speaker Deng Deng Akoon, and addressed to President Kiir condemns the incidents of killings in Unity State.