By Baraka John
The Acting Governor of Western Equatoria State, H.E. Justin Joseph Marona, has issued State Gubernatorial Order No. (2) suspending three County Commissioners from their duties and responsibilities with immediate effect.
The suspended commissioners are Rubben Amai, Commissioner of Mvolo County, Henry Banganda, Commissioner of Nagero County and Lino Fataki Kuogo, Commissioner of Nzara County.
According to the gubernatorial order dated Saturday, November 1, 2025, the Acting Governor directed the respective Executive Directors of Mvolo, Nagero, and Nzara Counties to assume the duties and responsibilities of County Commissioners until new appointments are made.
The suspensions follow months of political realignment among local leaders in Western Equatoria State. Both the Commissioners of Nzara and Mvolo Counties reportedly defected from the SPLM-IO (Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – In Opposition) to join the SPLM-IG (Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – In Government), a key signatory to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS 2018).
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Nagero County, Henry Banganda, was suspended over allegations of joining a rebel faction allied to the SPLA-IO under the command of Oyet Nathaniel, which is currently engaged in clashes in parts of Nagero County.
The SPLM/SPLA-IO structure in Western Equatoria State is reportedly divided between two factions — one loyal to Oyet Nathaniel and Stephen Par Kuol, and another aligned with other senior SPLM-IO leaders in the national government.
While the Deputy Governor of Western Equatoria State remains a member of the SPLM-IO under Stephen Par Kuol’s leadership, the military wing of the movement in the state is said to be leaning toward Oyet Nathaniel, who recently appointed the former Governor of Western Equatoria State, Alfred Futuyo Karaba as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in his faction.
A copy of the administrative order obtained by King Media indicates that the SPLM-IO leadership in Western Equatoria State had earlier given the Nagero County Commissioner a 60-day grace period to reconcile with the movement and rejoin its ranks for the sake of peace and unity.
The reconciliation period expired on October 15, 2025, and the commissioner was formally dismissed from the party on October 22, 2025, leading to his subsequent suspension from office.
Similarly, the Commissioners of Mvolo and Nzara were granted 60 days by the interim SPLM-IO leadership in the state to recommit to the movement after defecting to SPLM-IG. Their failure to respond or reconcile within the stipulated time led to their dismissal from the party and suspension from official duties.
The Acting Governor emphasized that the suspension is a temporary administrative measure to ensure continuity of local governance. Executive Directors will oversee county operations until new commissioners are appointed in accordance with state procedures.