Gen. Johnson Olony, the SPLM-IO nominee President Salva Kiir has refused to appoint governor of Upper Nile State | Credit | Courtesy

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition says it received information that President Salva Kiir had accepted to appoint General Johnson Olony as governor for Upper Nile state.

The main opposition group, SPLM-IO submitted the name of General Olony as its preferred candidate for the gubernatorial post.

President Kiir appointed state governors in June, but the SPLM-IO nominee for Upper Nile has yet to be appointed.

Kiir’s office described Olony as an “active soldier who has not fully subjected himself to the political development in Juba, and is not “within territories that are controlled by SPLM-IO or by the government.”

Dr. Riek Machar’s office however dismissed the assertion, saying that Olony is “a general in the SPLA-IO which is a recognized army.”

But a senior member of the SPLM-IO revealed that they have received confirmation that the President had accepted to appoint Olony, saying he hopes the appointment will be made soon.

Puot Kang who is also the Minister of Petroleum spoke to the press Monday morning in Juba.

However when contacted by Eye Radio, the Press Secretary in the Office of the President, Ateny Wek Ateny said he was “not yet informed about whether Olony will be appointed or not.”

“As soon as I am informed, I will let you know,” Ateny Wek added.

Last week, some internally displaced persons in Malakal protested over what they say is an increase in the number of targeted killings due to the lack of a governor.

They called on the President to specifically appoint Johnson Olony as their governor to contain the crimes.

Major General Olony is the commander of Agwelek forces that signed a military merger and incorporation into the SPLA-IO, under the leadership of Dr. Machar in June 2015.