The Replacement of South Sudan Army Chief and its Implications
Publication Summary
After a very difficult week for the Sudan’s People Liberation Army (SPLA) in the battle fields of Unity State, losing control of Bentiu, Leer, and Mayom and battling the rebels in Renk and other fronts in Upper Nile and Jonglei states, President Kiir announced in a decree on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 the removal of a long serving Chief of General Staff of the SPLA, Lt. General James Hoth Mai along with Maj. Gen. Mac Paul, Director of Military Intelligence . The move came also at a time when the international community is very concerned about the escalating violence after a widely reported massacre of civilians by the rebels in Bentiu and a mob of angry youth breaking into the UN compound in Bor and massacred unarmed civilians in UN custody. These events go to show that the conflict has reached a new height that borders genocide and make the resolution of this crisis a distant affair. The Sudd Institute analyzes the implications of this decision for the realization of peace in the country.
Abraham Awolich is the former Managing Director of the Sudd Institute. Awolich’s research has focused on management of development organizations working in conflict mitigation, governance and business management. Awolich is the co-founder of the Sudan Development Foundation and the former Executive Director of New Sudan Education Initiative (NESEI). Previous to joining the Sudd Institute, Awolich helped establish a secondary school in Yei and a medical clinic in Kalthok, Awerial County. Awolich has a Master’s Degree in Pubic Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Vermont in Anthropology and Business Administration. Awolich is a McNair Scholar and winner of the prestigious Samuel Huntington Public Service Award in 2006.