President Salva Kiir - Credit: Office of the President - Sept. 21 2022

President Salva Kiir on Tuesday, 28/11/2023 told state governors in Juba they do not have the right to dismiss or suspend officials while blaming them for not implementing the 2018 peace agreement.

The head of state said he was concerned that state governors have not been governing according to the constitution and the rule of law.

Speaking during the opening of the 7^th governor’s forum in Juba on Tuesday, Kiir said some states do not conduct Council of Ministers meetings and that state executives and assemblies have been marred in conflict.

According to Kiir, the conflicts have made some states unstable.

“I am reliably informed that some of you do not govern your states according to the constitution and the law, apparently, some of you do not hold cabinet meetings there are conflicts between the executive and the state assemblies which make the states unstable,” Kiir said.

President Kiir also accused unnamed governors of not implementing the 2018 agreement accordingly, hence causing problems among the parties to the peace accord.

He warns them against dismissing or suspending officials who are members of other political parties.

“Some of you are not implementing the agreement on the resolution of conflict in the Republic of South Sudan the way it is supposed to be and that is causing problems between the parties to the agreement through the high-level standing committee for the implementation of the agreement,” President Kiir said.

“No governor has the right to dismiss or suspend anybody from their positions just because he or she is from another party, you are supposed to work as colleagues regardless of your political or personal differences,” he said.

On the way forward, President Kiir directed the national institution to develop mechanisms that ensure that governors submit reports to the Council of Ministers for scrutiny.

He says there will be minimum standards for the governor of all the states in South Sudan.

“In this regard, I am going to direct the national institutions responsible for governance to develop a mechanism that will ensure that governors present their reports to the National Council of Ministers for scrutiny as required by the constitution so that they are minimum standards for the governance of all the states in South Sudan,” Kiir said.

The governor’s forum is being held under the theme; Fostering National Cohesion as the Country Transition Towards Democratic Governance.