Arop Jonchol
Report – News Agencies
Security authorities in Eastern Equatoria State have closed the office of Mary Alphonse Lodira, the state deputy governor, and confiscated her official car from her home. This action comes after Lodira’s absence from the state since late December for medical treatment in London.
According to officials from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO), this move follows Lodira’s refusal to appoint Stephen Par Kuol as the interim leader of the movement, amid rising tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar. The SPLM-IO opposed Kuol’s appointment and called for Machar’s release to remain the interim leader.
Visor Likale Olum, the chairperson of the SPLM-IO youth league in the state, criticized the action, stating that closing Lodira’s office was an “unjustified interference” in the movement’s affairs and an “attempt to destabilize the leadership.” He added, “The closure of her office and confiscation of her car leaves us in confusion and does not help strengthen internal unity within the community or the SPLM-IO movement.”
According to Radio Tamazuj, state authorities, including Louis Lobong Lojore, the Governor of Eastern Equatoria, and Elia John Ahaji, the Minister of Information, have declined to comment on the incident. It is worth noting that the state governor is a senior member of the SPLM party led by President Salva Kiir.
Wodcan Lazarus Saviour, a civil society activist and member of the Support Peace Initiative Development Organization (SPIDO), described this action as a clear violation of the 2018 peace agreement, warning that such steps would complicate the political situation in the country. He said, “We see partisan fragmentation worsening at a time when focus should be on implementing the terms of the peace agreement, instead of getting caught up in internal conflicts.”
As the crisis continues to unfold, political movements and figures in Eastern Equatoria have called for the avoidance of violence and urged efforts to resolve political issues through dialogue and to promote peace in the region.
It is also noteworthy that the office was previously relocated to the Ministry of Education after part of the state secretariat was damaged by a fire, before being moved back to its original location following renovations.
