Pagan Amum

Pa'gan Amum Okiech
Ministry of Peace
In office
23 July 2011 – 2015
President Salva Kiir Mayardit
Preceded by Position established
Personal details
Born 3 January 1959
Wat, South Sudan (then Sudan)
Political party Sudan People's Liberation Movement

Pa'gan Amum Okiech (born 3 January 1959) is a South Sudanese politician. He is the co-founder of South Sudan Reborn and is its primary spokesperson.[1]

Early life

Pa'gan Amum Okiech was born in a small post known as Wat in the Lou Nuer area. His father was a non-commissioned police officer responsible for the Wat post. His family moved to Malakal after his grandfather, Okiech, chief of the Ubuar people, died and Pa'gan Amum's father was asked to take over the role. His father went from being a clan chief to later being paramount chief and president of the court.[2]

Sudanese civil wars

In 1982, Pa'gan Amum left law school in Khatoum to organize and command a group of young revolutionaries committed to the establishment of a new country in southern Sudan. This group joined with other insurgent groups to form the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) under the leadership of Pa'gan Amum's mentor Dr John Garang de Maboir.

In 2005, Pa'gan Amum was part of Dr. Garang's team that negotiated the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA), which brought to an end the Sudanese Civil War and led to an historic, internationally supervised referendum in 2011.[3]

South Sudanese politics

After the referendum, Pa'gan Amum continued his service as Secretary General of the SPLM. He was elected by the National Liberation Council.[4]

He was also South Sudan's Chief Negotiator with Sudan on post independence issues. He served as the Minister for Peace and CPA Implementation in the Government of Southern Sudan, prior to independence in 2011 and as the caretaker Minister of Peace in the first government post independence, taking office on 23 July 2011.[5]

In 2013, the South Sudan descended into civil war and on 23rd July that year, Pa'gan Amum was put under house arrest by SPLM and suspended from all official duties. A trial against Pa'gan Amum and three other SPLM leaders (the 'detainees') accused of treason began the following year in March 2014 but was overturned by April.[6][7][8]

During this period, Pa'gan Amum claims he avoided several assassination attempts.[9]

In June 2015, the detainees were returned to Juba from exile in Kenya and were reintegrated into the ruling party. Pa'gan Amum was reinstated as secretary general.[10][11]

Pa'gan Amum signed the 2015 peace agreement in Addis Ababa between the current government and the opposition.[12][13]

Claiming continuous threats to his security, Pa'gan Amum is currently in exile in the United States.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "South Sudan Reborn". South Sudan Reborn. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  2. ↑ "Pagan Amum Okiech". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "South Sudan in independence threat". BBC. 11 August 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  4. ↑ "SPLM Secretary General Amum says Kiir's suspension of ministers was politically motivated". Sudan Tribune. 7 July 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  5. ↑ "Amum appointed as South Sudan peace minister, denies resignation reports". Sudan Tribune. 23 July 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "Index of notable persons". Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  7. ↑ "South Sudan's Pagun Amum treason trial starts". BBC. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  8. ↑ "South Sudan frees leaders accused of plotting coup". BBC. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  9. ↑ "PAGAN AMUM SAYS SOUTH SUDAN GOVERNMENT TRIED TO ASSASSINATE HIM". 14 April 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  10. ↑ Kushkush, Isma’il (29 June 2015). "Peace Eludes South Sudan as Rivals Hold Talks". New York Times. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  11. ↑ "Pagan Amum reinstated as SPLM secretary-general". Sudan Tribune. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  12. ↑ Foltyn, Simona (19 August 2015). "South Sudan's half a peace agreement". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  13. ↑ "South Sudan Peace Agreement 2015". Gurtong. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  14. ↑ "SPLM-FD deplore killings of civilians in Wau, Malakal". Radio Tamazuj. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2016.

See also

Political offices
Preceded by
Position established		 Minister of Peace
2011 - 2015 		Succeeded by
No Incumbent
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