A former senior aide to Vice President for Infrastructure, Taban Deng Gai, has called on President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar to relieve Abyei Area Chief Administrator and Twic County Commissioner off their duties.

Agel Machar (pictured), a former press secretary to Taban, blamed Abyei Chief Administrator, Gen Kuol Deim, and Twic County commissioner Deng Tong Goch for fuelling the ongoing tensions in areas under their portfolios.

“The solution to the current heightened tensions and unfortunate killings between the sisterly communities of Abyei and Twic, in my humble submission starts with immediate removal and replacement of Abyei Area Chief Administrator, Gen Kuol Deim (SPLM-IG) and the Commissioner of Twic County Hon Deng tong Goch (SPLM-IO) by President Mayardit and his Co-Principal, First Vice President Dr Machar respectively,” Agel said in a Facebook post.

The Abyei Administrator, Deim, belongs to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Government (SPLM-IG) under the chairmanship of Kiir while Twic County Commissioner Tong is affiliated to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) under Machar.

Ager said the pair has been inciting violence and taking decisions that impacted peace and stability negatively in the aforementioned regions.

“I have been watching the two for months now, with great concerns as they deliberately stalk tensions and wilfully take wrong steps that unfortunately contributed to current dangerous escalations. I don’t see how the two can be part of any possible solution to the current heartbreaking crisis,” he said.

The former aide questioned why there is a rivalry between the two communities while land borders separating the two communities were clearly marked.

“The borders between the sisterly communities of Abyei-Deng Kuol and Twic-Bol Chol as they stood on 1/1/1956 are very clear and straightforward to any logical observer of historical facts,” Agel said.

“However, now is not the wisest time to unilaterally choose to demarcate our international or internal boundaries,” he said.

Amid a tense security situation and escalation of violence, Agel called for calm and restrain among the two communities.

“The issue of our international and internal boundaries are somewhat addressed in both the CPA and R-ARCISS Peace Agreements. Let’s continue to be patient. Such kind of violence between brothers is as unnecessary as it is senseless,” he wrote.