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Sudan Tribune

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Standoff with ex-army chief resolved, Kiir tells UN boss

November 7, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan president Salva Kiir told the head of the United Nations mission in the country Tuesday that the standoff with the country’s ex-army chief has been resolved, downplaying the tensions arising from orders to disarm the latter’s guards.

S Sudan's President Salva Kiir is received by former Chief of General Staff of the SPLA Paul Malong Awan at the airport in Juba March 6, 2015 (Reuters)
S Sudan’s President Salva Kiir is received by former Chief of General Staff of the SPLA Paul Malong Awan at the airport in Juba March 6, 2015 (Reuters)
The cabinet affairs minister, Martin Elia Lomuro, said President Kiir and David Shearer held discussions on the security situation in the country in general and tensions with the former chief of staff in particular.

“Mr. Shearer came to see the president and to discuss with him about the current security situation in Juba and His Excellency the president told him that the situation is normal and the recent reported tension has been resolved peacefully”, he said.

The South Sudanese leader, he stressed, gave assurance to the head of the UN mission that any move to restrict movement of the former chief of army to his residence and deal with him accordingly should he resist the order, will be handled without the use of force.

“The government is asking the former chief of staff, Gen Paul Malong to release some of guards to return to their units. Nobody will arrest. This is the message his Excellency the president of the republic told Mr. Shearer today. So the issue tension has been resolved. The situation as you have been witnessing has been quite normal since Sunday,” explained Lomuro, adding “There should no panic”.

The South Sudanese Security Council on Monday endorsed a presidential order directing the chief defence forces to disarm and arrest guards of the ex-army chief.

“The security meeting was convened over the weekend in the light of the current situation and it received reports of the deployment of the security forces around the residence of Gen Paul Malong Awan after he refused to comply with the directives of the president. But this is not a big issue,” said defense minister, Kuol Manyang Juuk.

The endorsement of the presidential decision comes after Awan’s rejection of a decision by President Kiir ordering army soldiers protecting his residence to regain their barracks and to arrest and disarm guards who disobey the order.

Awan was sacked by the president in May and replaced with Gen. James Ajonga Mawut.

(ST)

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