October 18th 2018 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan President, Salva Kiir Mayardiit on Wednesday night issued a Republican Degree removing the governor of Terekeka state just a week after an inter-communal violence killed at least 20 people.
Kiir in the degree read out on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) replaced Augustino Laku, the outgoing governor, with Jacob Gore Samuel. Some said the two politicians have a long political rivalries dating back to 2011.
Augustino Laku was appointed in January by President Kiir Mayardiit following the sacking, by the President, of his predecessor Juma Ali Malou who had held the gubernatorial position for almost a year.
Kiir gave no reason for the dismissal but a deadly intercommunal fighting had engulfed the state last week leading to the death of almost twenty people with dozens others critically wounded and threatened to expose the state into inter-communal instability.
Terekeka town is located on the west bank of the Nile some 75 km north of the capital Juba and despite repeated violence in the capital Juba and the neighboring states between rebels and government forces, Terekeka has been relatively calm since the onset of the ongoing South Sudan civil war.
It was created in October 2018 by a presidential degree dubbed as “Establishment Order” which broke up South Sudan into tinny tribal enclaves with the Dinka community, Kiir’s ethnic group, having the lion share in term of the land and having the largest number of states.
South Sudan descended into civil war in December 2013 following a flare-up of violence at Nyakuron Cultural Centre during a meeting of the national liberation council of the ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) leading to split in the army along tribal lines leading to civilians’ massacre against the Nuer ethnic group in the capital Juba.
Top army generals protested and rebelled against the government saying their ethnic groups were targeted in the capital Juba igniting a civil war.
