South Sudan on the edge after Salva Kiir fires General Malong

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, (centre), and sacked army chief of staff Paul Malong Awan (Photo Courtesy)

At 8.10pm, on May 8, normal broadcasting on the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation TV was interrupted with a breaking news announcement. In a decree, the announcer said, President Salva Kiir had fired General Paul Malong Awan as chief of general staff of the South Sudan People’s Liberation Army.

A spokesman for President Kiir set out to calm the resultant tensions. “The removal of the Army Chief Gen. Paul Malong Awan tonight by the President of the Republic Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, was a mere routine change of guards,” Ateny Wek Ateny said. “The appointment and the elevation of Gen. James Ajonga Mawut as new Chief of General Staffs is also normal given that James is next in seniority. No political motivation at all, no worries as the situation remained calm and normal in Juba.”