Kuol Manyang Juuk claims access to Kiir restricted: blames Gatluak

Merio Jimmy, Juba

Senior Presidential advisor and former defence minister Kuol Manyang Juuk has reported his access to President Salva Kiir Mayardit has been restricted by security advisor Tut Kew Gatluak.

Speaking in an interview due to be aired on Friday by Juba-based journalist Mathiang Cirilo, Manyang claims he has not seen Kiir for several months.

Manyang pictured alongside President Kiir in 2018.

'I was appointed by President Salva as ‘senior presidential advisor’ which means I am the head of the advisors. But I am not being allowed to even meet Kiir by Tutkew and this is for several months now', Manyang said.

Asked to describe his relationship with Tut Gatluak, Manyang notes that the pair are not on good terms. He has also suggested that the Presidency is under the influence of various unnamed members of the National Congress Party of Sudan (NCP).

“Look, my relationship doesn’t exist with Tut Kew. Some people within the NCP have taken over our country and the presidency', Manyang has claimed.

Tut Gatluak, security advisor and widely regarded as one of the country's most powerful men.

The SPLM grandee further reiterated the accusations he made last week, suggesting the government has failed to deliver key services and is killing its own citizens.

'We haven’t done anything to make a better society following independence'.