South Sudan president urges sacked army chief to desist from rebellion

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir urged on Friday his sacked army Chief General Paul Malong to desist from rebellion.

President Kiir revealed that Malong was still very angry to return to Juba, raising suspicion of his next move given the fact he left on Tuesday for his home area of Aweil North West of the capital with a sizable number of his loyal body guards.

"Yesterday (Thursday) when I talked to him (Malong) last, he was not in good mood. He was in a fighting mood. I tried to calm him down but he was rather wild," Kiir said in Juba.

According to officials, the former Chief of General Staff, who was replaced by General James Ajongo, was expected back in Juba on Thursday, but he is in Yirol, Eastern Lakes state located some 307 km northwest of the capital.

"I am aware that these changes always take place, but this last change has made everybody very apprehensive. And many speculations are being promoted around that there is going to be armed confrontation," Kiir said.

He revealed that on Friday morning he tried to talk to Malong but found out that he was resting because on Thursday the former army chief's blood pressure showed up very high.

The president moved to quash any public fear of any armed confrontation with his former army chief. Malong's helm at the South Sudan army (SPLA) amid ongoing conflict left the army's image tainted with allegations of mass civilian killings, rapes, looting amid defections of senior army officers who accused Malong of favouring his fellow Dinka officers.

The president also added that he was still in communication with Malong and assured the former army chief and his body guards' safety upon their arrival in Juba.

"Personally I am still in communication with General Malong and I have assured him of his safety as soon as he arrives in Juba. I have given the security organizations all the necessary orders ensuring that Malong and his people are safe," he disclosed.

The withdrawal of the former army chief from Juba has also dragged in influential community leaders from largely the various Dinka clans to organize flights to Yirol in a bid to cajole Malong to abandon any plans of rebellion.

"Now the community leaders have mobilized themselves. The people of Yirol who were in Juba here were at the airport looking for a flight to Yirol to meet him there. There are other community leaders coming from Aweil his home area coming to meet him," Kiir added.

President Kiir cautioned Malong to desist from any temptation of wrecking havoc with the help of what he termed "foreign hands."

"There are so many foreign hands being seen behind General Paul (Malong) pushing him. But I told him this morning that your family needs you more than us and therefore you should not accept to go into these problems," Kiir said. Endit