President Salva Kiir is expected in Aweil, Northern Bahr el
Ghazal State, today on a Bahr el Ghazal peace tour amid mounting pressure to
release former Vice President Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel.
Local authorities said Kiir will address citizens at Aweil
Freedom Square during his visit, part of a broader Bahr el Ghazal tour ahead of
December elections.
The Office of the Commissioner of Aweil East County urged
residents to turn out in large numbers and line the roadside from Peth Lou to
Ajaac to welcome him.
The visit comes as youth from Aweil East County — the home
area of Bol Mel — petitioned Kiir to release him and two other former
officials, citing prolonged detention without trial.
The petition, submitted through the Office of the
President’s legal affairs department, also calls for the release of former
First Undersecretary at the Ministry of Finance Garang Majak Bol and former
Undersecretary at the Ministry of Petroleum Deng Lual Wol.
The group said all three have been held for months without
formal charges, urging either prosecution in court or unconditional release in
line with constitutional guarantees.
Bol Mel, once a close ally of Kiir and former Vice President
for the Economic Cluster, was removed from office in November 2025 and placed
under house arrest. The two other officials were also detained in early 2026.
The Office of the President has not commented on the
petition or confirmed charges, although the National Security Service lists the
three among 16 officials detained over alleged financial crimes.
Kiir’s tour of Bahr el Ghazal includes public rallies on peace, unity, and economic recovery ahead of national elections scheduled for December.
