Juba, South Sudan.
January 12, 2022—A serving prison officer has relinquished his position as the interim chairperson of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party in Gogrial West County in Warrap State over the weekend.
This comes less than a month after President Kiir issued an order prohibiting all active military and security personnel from engaging in politics.
In a resignation letter obtained by Nyamilepedia, Major Joseph Ngong Deng, says he gives up his party position in respond to President Kiir’s recent order.
“Allow me to exit from SPLM position in Gogrial West County in accordance to presidential order No. 27 dated 31 December 2021 prohibiting all regular forces from politics and community associations,” Major Deng wrote.
Maj. Deng reveals that he participated in politics at community recommendation following his serving as commissioner of Kuec East in Defunct Gogrial State.
“I came to politics via secondment from the community as the former commissioner of Kuec East in defunct Gogrial State and my services ended when the president reversed the 32 to 10 states as part of the revitalized peace agreement.”, he added in a statement.
Deng stressed that, he was working well as SPLM county chairperson and had good working relations with his party superiors in the state but had to resign to heed to the president’s order because he is still serving at the rank of Major in the prisons service.
“I was a red army (child) soldier and I will remain an SPLM supporter whether in uniform or not. I was very good with my SPLM chairman of Warrap State and he is a good person,” Major Deng said.
Warrap State SPLM Secretary-General Longar Malual confirmed Major Ngong’s resignation but said his office will make a statement at a later date.
“I received the resignation and I am waiting for the party chairman who is not in the office at the moment. We have to sit in the office and after that, we will release a statement,” Malual said.
On the new year eve, President Salva Kiir Mayardit issued the statement ordering all military, Security Personnel, Youth and Women Organizations from exercising politics and warned to punish those who fails to comply with such order.
