

June 11, 2018 (JUBA) - Paul Malong Awan former South Sudanese army chief of staff, said he is not interested in a position but the departure of President Salva Kiir from power, saying the latter has overstayed his worth.

According to a statement dated on 8 June 2018, Malong’s spokesperson said Kiir has failed his mandate and it was now time for him to relinquish the mantle of leadership to the people of South Sudan to decide who would be their next leader, instead of the government continuing to use divide and rule policies.

"The best advice that should be offered to Kiir is that he relinquishes his position to give people an opportunity to get for themselves a new leader with new ideas and new direction," said Malong’s spokesperson, Sunday de John.

“Tell him directly that Malong does not want a position but Kiir exit”, de John further added.

The opposition spokesperson explained his South Sudan United Front under the leadership of the former army chief, was looking for a lasting solution to the crisis, not positions to the opponents.

“Throwing positions to opponents may not necessarily solve the crisis. We need an honest conversation with ourselves where we will be able to alter the architecture of our governance structures to effectively respond to the suffering of our people,” stressed the statement.

Awan, according to de John, was reacting to a letter allegedly written by the chairperson of Gogrial Youth Union asking President Kiir to engage in negotiations with former colleagues and comrades like Paul Malong Awan.

The result of such negotiations, according to the letter which the group later disowned, should culminate into a peace that would give positions to Malong and others.

The group later having written to the president. It remains unclear who wrote the letter circulated on the social media. But, officials at the South Sudanese presidency denied receiving any letter from the youth, though admitted reading social media reports about the letter.

(ST)