JUBA, South Sudan-- President Salva Kiir of South Sudan on Tuesday appointed Lt. Gen. Pieng Deng Kuol to be the new Inspector General of  South Sudan Police. The appointment came after the president relieved Gen. Achuil Tito Madut from the job. One day before those announcements, Mr. Kiir had removed 11  army Lt. Generals from active duty and put them on reserve. One of those was Pieng Deng Kuol, who is now the new chief of police.

On the gubernatorial front, the president made news by replacing Eng. Chol Tong Mayai with Maj. Gen. Matur Chut Dhuol as care-taker governor of Lakes State.

It bears reporting  that South Sudan was rocked by spectors of violence in 2012. Aslo, toward the end of last year, there were rumors of coup after coup but those rumors were played down by the goverment. 

In the beginning of December, Isaiah Abraham, a prolific political commentator, was assassinated in Juba, and his death became a tipping point where the public demanded swift changes in the goverment.

In just about the same week, security forces massacred civilians in Wau, Western Bar el Ghazal State, who were protesting their state government's decision to relocate the capital city.

Few weeks after the assassination and the massacre in Wau, the Greater Bor Community in North America and The Nuer Community World Wide wroted strongly worded postion pappers on the assassination, security  concerns and all the killings of many innocent South Sudanese, and demanded that Mr. Kiir effect urgent reforms in the security sector. 

It is not clear if the widespread level of public outrage did influence the president's decision  in what now appears to be a comprhensive overhaul of the security sector.

And according to the reporting from the BBC on Tuesday, " South Sudan has denied...that the dismissal of more than 30 top army officers has anything with a rumour about a coup attempt."

Below are the presidential decrees courtesy of the presidential Press Unit/Goss.org.

THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Release

H.E Kiir relieves Governor of Lakes state and appoints new Deputies to SPLA/COGS

The President of the Republic and C-IN-C of the SPLA H.E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit on 21^st, Jan.2013 issued Republican Decree No. 06/2013 for the relieve of the Governor of Lakes state Eng. Chol Tong Mayay from his position as a governor, with effect from 21^st,January 2013. The Decree directed the Deputy Governor of Lakes state to act until further measure are taken.

President Kiir also issued republican decree No. 07/2013 for the relieve of SPLA officers from active service and remain in the reserve list until they are reassigned, the officers are:

1-   Lt. Gen. Obuto Mamur Mete

2-   Lt. Gen. Biar Atem Ajang

3-   Lt. Gen. Pieng Deng Kuol

4-   Lt. Gen. Ayuen Alier Jongroor

5-   Lt. Gen. Wilson Deng Kuoirot

6-   Lt. Gen. Kuol Diem Kuol

7-   Maj. Gen. Augustino Jadalla Jada

8-   Maj. Gen. Elias Waya Nyipuoc

9-   Maj. Gen. Luis Aliandro Paul

10- Maj. Gen. Dr. Henry Makeny Dhieu

11- Maj. Gen. Dr. Akol Diing Duot

Republican Decree No.08/2013 for the Removal of SPLA officers from Active List and

put to the Reserve List, 2013. The officers are:

H.E Kiir also issued Republican decree No. 10/2013 for the promotion of SPLA Major Generals to Lieutenant Generals, 2013 AD, with effect from 21^st Jan, 2013 as hereunder:

Republican Decree for the appointment of Deputies to the SPLA Chief of General Staff:

Republican Decree No.11/2013 for the appointment of Deputies to the SPLA Chief of General staff, as hereunder: