Aleu Ayieny is fired: The revolving door of power in Juba
Why was Hon. Aleu Ayieny Fired from the Cabinet?
By PaanLuel Wel, Juba, South Sudan
April 14, 2015 (SSB) — The revolving door of power in Juba. This was Comrade Aleu Ayieny letter to Comrade Pagan Amum after his expulsion from the party in 2008, together with Telar Deng.
In 2013, it was the turn of Pagan to exit from power, most likely, courtesy of Aleu and Telar. Now, Aleu is gone, just less than 2 years after his enthronement.
This was never expected by many South Sudanese, not this so soon, but it has occurred and the damn question is: what is going on in Juba? Why was Aleu fired?
Or, given how Aleu Ayieny has accused Museveni of having a hand in the death of John Garang, did Museveni pressure Kiir to dismiss Aleu?
Or was it a precondition set by Pagan and his G-10 to rejoining the gov’t as part of the Arusha Reunification accord?
Was it done, influenced, by Malong Awan too, like that of Hon. Kwel Agwer? Perhaps, it is claimed, Aleu was too big for Malong and he had to go.
Then there is the claim that there is a bitter rivalry between Madam Awut Deng Achuil and Hon. Aleu Ayieny Aleu. Madam Awut is the wife of the late Dhol Achuil Aleu, a direct cousin to Aleu Ayieny Aleu.
Some people have speculated that Madam Awut wannabe the only kingmaker in Tonj politics and has been uncomfortable with the presence of her brother-in-law in the cabinet.
Which bring us to the next vital question: Who is the president of South Sudan? Or should we just, like Philip Thon Aleu, seek solace in the Biblical prophesies: “When you see many wonders, that is the beginning of the end”?
Aleu Ayieny is a tough guy, he might not take this lying down, if his past is any guide to his mindset. He might write another letter to Malong Awan, or whoever is behind his dismissal, like the one he wrote to Pagan.
He might come out again, re-branding President Kiir as a “dictator” as they (Telar and Aleu) declared after their ejection from the cabinet and party in 2008.
Let’s recall too that it was only Aleu Ayieny who came out strongly, publicly arguing that John Garang was killed by Ugandan with the help of rogue elements within the SPLM/A.
The question then is: will Aleu Ayieny join the rebellion of Riek Machar?Unlike his comrade Telar Deng, Aleu did not sided with Riek Machar in 1991.
And Kuel Aguer, will he follow Dau Aturjong?
And will the dismissal of Aleu from the gov’t herald peace and reconciliation between President Kiir (gov’t) and Pagan Amum (G-10)?
With the expulsion of the G-10 from the gov’t in July 2013, and now of Aleu Ayieny, the core of what used to be the original SPLM—those who never defected from the movement from 1983 when the war commenced to 2005 when the peace arrived—has shrunk dramatically.
The gov’t of President Kiir is now composed up of Khartoumers and those opportunity seekers who never joined the armed struggle. It is only the President, and few others in the gov’t, who can be correctly called true SPLM members.
About Post Author
