Riek Gai Kok

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Riek Gai Kok is a South Sudanese politician. He is a Lou Nuer, hailing from Chieng Man-nyang/Diang-nyang Akoba. [1] [2] A veteran politician, he has been a member of parliament in both Sudan and South Sudan. [3] As of 2013, he served as Minister of Health of South Sudan. [3]

Contents

1990s

As of the early 1990s, Riek Gai Kok served as head of the Relief Association of Southern Sudan, the humanitarian aid wing of the SPLA-Nasir. [4] [5] As of 1997-1998 he served as spokesperson of the South Sudan Independence Movement/Army (SSIM/A). [6] As the late 1990s he served as wali (governor) of Jonglei state. [6] [7] [8]

2000s

In 2002 he was named as chairman of the Southern States Coordination Council by president Omar al-Bashir. [9] [10] As SSCC chairman, Riek Gai Kok was charged with administering the states of Southern Sudan. [11] The appointment followed the defection of Riek Machar to the rebel side. [12] As of 2002, Riek Gai Kok was also serving as Minister of Animal Resources in the Sudanese government. [13] At the time Riek Gai Kok was a leader of the South Sudan Defence Forces. Towards the end of the Second Sudanese Civil War he and a group of his followers broke with the SSDF leader Gordon Kong. [1]

Riek Gai Kok was also a high-ranking member of the National Congress Party. [2] [14] He was the chairman of the Southern Sector of the NCP. [15] He also served as advisor to the Sudanese president. [16] On July 7, 2011, two days before the independence of South Sudan, Riek Gai Kok and other Southern NCP leaders held a press conference and declared their entry into the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. [17]

Post-Independence

In August 2013 Riek Gai Kok was named Minister of Health in the government of South Sudan. [3]

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References

  1. 1 2 Small Arms Survey, Geneva. Small Arms Survey 2010 Gangs, Groups, and Guns . Cambridge Univ Pr, 2010. p. 288
  2. 1 2 Young, John. Sudan People's Liberation Army: Disarmament in Jonglei and Its Implications . Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2007. p. 4
  3. 1 2 3 Al-Ahram. Kiir’s delicate game
  4. Rone, Jemera. Civilian Devastation: Abuses by All Parties in the War in Southern Sudan . New York: Human Rights Watch, 1994. p. 184
  5. Human Rights Watch. Famine in Sudan, 1998: The Human Rights Causes . New York: Human Rights Watch, 1999. p. 80
  6. 1 2 IRIN. 'SUDAN: A future without War?' - IRIN In-Depth on the prospects of peace in Sudan - Who is who
  7. Sudan Update , Vol. 9–10. Committee for Peace and Reconstruction in Sudan, 1998. p. 53
  8. Sudan Focus , Vol. 4–6. Focus International, 1997. p. 118
  9. Rone, Jemera. Sudan, Oil and Human Rights . 2003. p. 338
  10. Horn of Africa Bulletin , Vol. 15. Life & Peace Institute, 2003. p. 34
  11. I.O.N. , Eds. 1024–1069. Indian Ocean Information and Documentation Bank, 2003. p. 70
  12. Press Digest , Vol. 10, Eds. 1–26. Anasir Publishers, 2003. p. 35
  13. Marchés tropicaux et méditerranéens , Eds. 2956–2970. 2002. p. 1862
  14. Otayek, René, and Benjamin F. Soares. Islam, état et société en Afrique . Paris: Karthala, 2009. p. 398
  15. IGIHE. South Sudan’s Kiir names new Cabinet
  16. Sudan News Agency. Dr. Riek Gai Lauds Role of President Al-Bashir in Implementation of Comprehensive Peace Agreement
  17. SudanTribune. NCP South Sudan office closes down as officials join SPLM