South Sudan Opposition Alliance has officially nominated Denay Chagor Jock as governor of Jonglei state. This is according to Sudan Tribune news.
SSOA Spokesman Stephen Lual said the decision was made in a meeting they held on Monday in Juba.
“The Leadership Council agreed to accept the allocation of Jonglei State to SSOA as per the resolution of the President and the First Vice President on the 17th June 2020,” Lual said in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune.
He further said Chagor was chosen because “he is the only leader of the SSOA hailing from Jonglei state. Lam Akol National Democratic Movement (NDM) leader had also proposed one of his generals for Governor of Jonglei, but the alliance rejected him. Lual said Akol’s choice was not accepted because they wanted to prioritize leaders of the alliance factions.
On 29th June, President Kiir appointed 8 states governors and three chief Administrators of administrative areas. The nomination of the Jonglei state governor was delayed by disagreement among the alliance itself on the allocation of state.
Following the presidential statement on reallocation of states in June, SSOA issued contradictory statements with Dr. Lam Akol, the Secretary General of the alliance in support of the decision while, Josephine Joseph Lagu, Chairperson of the alliance opposed it.
Josephine said they wanted Upper Nile state which was offered to them in the first states allocation in May. But Dr. Lam and his group applauded the decision saying all they needed was a “political leadership in the states” to serve people.
According to the parties to revitalized peace agreement signed in September, 2018, SSOA has one state, Sudan people’s Liberation Movement in Opposition with three states and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, SPLM with six states.