May 2, 2020 (Nyamilepedia) – South Sudan government is selling properties belonging to the country’s former army chief turned rebel-leader General Paul Malong Awan in Juba as well as the rebel leader’s hometown Aweil, sources with knowledge said.
Malong was one of President Salva Kiir’s most close allies until his dismissal as the SPLA chief of general staff in May 2017 following allegations that he was planning to take over the government from Kiir, a claim Malong denied.
Malong is from a rich family background. He has houses and other properties both in the capital Juba and several areas in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal state including its capital Aweil.
Speaking to Nyamilepedia on Sunday morning, a close relative of General Malong said from Juba that a number of buildings in the capital and Aweil were sole by the government. The source who refused to be named for fear of reprisal said people who were living in those buildings were expelled by the government.
“Two houses have been confiscated by the government in Juba and one in Aweil. These properties belong to General Paul Malong and the government has expelled a number of families who have the permission of Malong to live in these houses,” the source said.
For his part, a senior opposition official allied to Malong confirmed on his Facebook the development saying they were aware of the government takeover of properties belonging to Malong in the capital Juba.
“I have learned with sadness that there are some people in Juba selling the property of General Malong. They have sold several houses already though they have heard that General Malong is coming,” Deng Chapath who is General Malong’s Uganda envoy said.
