On Monday, a group of legislators representing SPLM-IO in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly and Council of State accused Aleu Ayieny Aleu of threatening to kill them.

They claimed that the governor is accusing them for allegedly fuelling insecurity in the state.

The lawmakers say the governor also harassed one of his cabinet ministers for allegedly being an IO member.

Addressing a press conference in Juba on Monday, Yolanda Awet Deng described the governor’s actions as violations of the revitalized peace agreement.

“On Thursday morning October 14th 2021, the Governor of Warrap State Aleu Ayen Aleu fully dressed in military attires launched a military exercise with heavily armoured vehicles in the streets of Kuajok Town,” Yolanda said.

“After that military exercise, the governor went to the council of Ministers hall for the swearing in ceremony of newly appointed cabinet members.”

“During that event, governor Aleu Ayieny Aleu stated the following; One, he harassed one of the cabinet ministers in the meeting in front of everyone mistaking him for being an IO member, second, asked the SPLM-IO members in the hall to stand up which was done, third, accused the SPLM-IO party members as the ones causing chaos in the state, fourth, accused the SPLM-IO for lack of cooperation with him which is the governor, fifth, threatened to kill the SPLM-IO constitutional potholders and sixth, finally declared war on the SPLM-IO party,” Yolanda Awet said.

Yolanda added that these acts are against peace in the country and diverting the attention away from implementation of the peace agreement.

“It is important for the public to know that what is happening in Warrap State is a violation of the revitalized agreement and must be addressed immediately,”

“We the members of parliament in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly and Council of State are hereby protesting against the mistreatment and intimidation of our members in the state.”

The lawmaker urged the revitalized transitional government of national unity to respond by addressing the situation in Warrap urgently.”

In his response, Gen. Aleu Ayieny Aleu denied wrong doing, saying the allegation by members of SPLM-IO in Warrap is false and misplaced.

“I have noted with grave concerns, the manner in which our peace partners, the Honorable members of SPLM-IO (the IO) in Juba have raised misplaced allegations against the Government of Warrap State and, against my personality as the Governor,” the governor said in a statement released on Wednesday.

“The alarming claim that I have threatened members of the IO during the swearing in ceremony on October 13, 2021, that I threatened to kill the SPLM-IO postholders, or that I have declared war on the SPLM-IO is false.”

In a statement, Gen. Alue explained that the press statement released by the SPLM-IO MPs has contravened the directive of the Presidency written early this year.

He says the Presidency early requested the various peace partners in the ten states to work in harmony, and to consult their chief signatories, in case of any arising misunderstandings.

“The SPLM-IG led by H.E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of the Republic of South Sudan has tasked me to work in harmony with all the peace partners in the state and so far, my administration has followed the line of peace. In short, the SPLM-IGs in Warrap State have no quarrel with the peace partners, including the SPLM-IO members.”

The governor stated that the reaction of the SPLM-IO MPs is unfortunate, as it violates the legislative norms of the August House.

He says he has been in consultation with the leader of SPLM-IO.

“I have been in constant consultative contact with the Chairman of the SPLM-IO and H.E. FVP, Dr. Riek Machar, and by agreement with him, has dispatched (on October 12, 2021) the SPLM-IO State Chairman to Kuajok – on my invitation – all these happened before the sudden uproar of the SPLM-IO MPs in Juba.”

He says he considers what he called the ‘negative reaction’ of the SPLM-IO MPs as a pure act of incoordination, pre-empting the Chairman of the SPLM-IO, who he says has already assigned a senior member on a fact finding mission in Kuajok.