President Salva Kiir says he is concerned by poor performance by some of the state governors.
“I am reliably informed that some of you don not govern the state according to the constitution and law,” the president said during the opening of the 7th Governors’ Forum in Juba on Tuesday.
The head of state did not mention any state in which various government branches are at conflict.
However, several media reports show that some states are engaged in conflicts either between the governor and the deputy or the executive and the legislature, mostly in Warrap, Jonglei, and Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.
In Jonglei State, a disagreement between Governor Denay Chagor and his deputy Jacob Akech has reportedly paralyzed work in the state.
An attempt by Chagor, a SSOA representative, to have the former mayor of Bor investigated for land scandal accusations was opposed by Akech – an SPLM representative in the state.
Such disagreements, according to Kiir, bring about conflict, which escalates to the rest of the state, hence, making it unstable.
“Apparently, some of you do not hold cabinet meetings, there are conflicts between the executives and the state assemblies who make the state unstable,” he said.
Peace deal implementation
According to the September 2018 peace agreement, state governments are required to implement some provisions.
These include dissemination of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan at the grassroots level. The deal also commands cooperation among representatives of the peace parties.
“You are supposed to work as colleagues regardless of your political or personal difference,” Kiir told the governors.
Those in attendance also include cabinet ministers, security officers, UN representatives, and foreign dignitaries.
(Editor’s Note: Ibasi Patricia Tobs contributed materials that were incorporated into the story.)