Kiir Fires Administrator Konyi, names Lokuli Amu, a political advisor during Yau Yau’s Governorship as replacement

South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit has on Thursday, June 3, 2021 fired the chief administrator of the restive Greater Pibor Administrative Area Joseph Konyi, and replaced him with Lokuli Amu Bullen was a political advisor during Yau Yau’s Governorship as a replacement.

Konyi’s replacement was announced on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) and as usual, no reason was given.

It will be recalled that the High- level delegation of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), African Union Mission in South Sudan (AUMISS), Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism (R-JMEC), and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) recently released a joint statement on the situation in Pibor.

The delegation said in a statement that “is concerned that violence this year could evolve into something similar to that witnessed in early 2020 when thousands of fighters from Dinka, Nuer, Murle communities conducted attacks on villages, killing and wounding hundreds of civilians.”

While acknowledging that the current fragile situation has begun to improve gradually, the delegation called on the government of South Sudan, together with community leaders in Greater Pibor and Jonglei, to take steps to silence the guns, address the root causes of the conflict, and fulfill its responsibility to protect civilians.

Also in an interview with the dismissed chief administrator recently seen by NCMP, The chief administrator said calm had returned to his area after a group of youth from Jonglei State attacked, leading to days of bloody clashes.

But the dismissal shows the government don’t believe his claims.