Peter Lam Both

Peter Lam Both (born in 1972) has been the Governor of Latjoor, South Sudan since 24 December 2015. He is the first governor of the state, which was created by President Salva Kiir on 2 October 2015.

He was a high-ranking South Sudanese diplomat of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) who was appointed as Commissioner for National Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in the National Government of South Sudan on 7 June 2012 by President Salva Kiir. He served in this position until 27 November 2013 when differences arose between him and the newly appointed Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, Awut Deng Achuil who was also entrusted to head the defunct Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management. The Commission which Peter headed is responsible for delivery of humanitarian and relief services to the people of South Sudan while the function of the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs was for policy formulation and development. When Awut became Minister, she frustrated the work of the commission as she wanted to takeover the functions of the Commission and that didn't sit well with Peter. As a result, he wrote to the President of Republic demanding that the Minister be asked to function within the confines of the constitutional mandate or he be relieved so that the Commission does not die in his hands. Instead of correcting the situation, the President relieved him on 27 November 2013. Since his relief from office, the commission is no longer functioning as its work is usurped by the Minister and the Ministry. The new chairperson will either have to remain dormant or he will also lose his job if he challenges Awut because President Kiir is known for abandoning government interest in order to protect the interest of Awut.

Before the outbreak of South Sudan crisis on 15 December 2013, Peter warned the people of South Sudan that the Vice President was provoking a crisis in the country in a meeting they held with President Kiir on 1 May 2013 which he reiterated on national SSTV. He and a group of other Jikany leaders met with former Vice President Riek Machar on 4 May 2013 in which they warned him not to involve and politicize the community of Nuer and SPLA Nuer elements in an SPLM power struggle. On 6 May 2013, Peter and Riek Machar met in his office in which Riek wanted to find out from him what he talked about on National SSTV on 1 May 2013. In front of his aides, Peter explained to Riek that he was taking the country to brink of war by invoking ethnic Nuer sentiments to support his bid for chairmanship of the party rather than using SPLM political flatform to convince voters to elect him. Peter was the first official to call on South Sudanese leaders to stop the crisis before it happened, but instead, he was criticized by Dr. Riek's supports like Hon. Gatluak Riek Jaak and Hon. John Chuol Char saying that Peter was not being truthful and that Dr. Machar was not provoking any crisis in the country. He was also criticized by Nuer Diaspora elements who are staunch supporters of Dr. Riek Machar. But, Peter was vindicated on 15 December 2013 when war brokeout and members of the Nuer community became victims of the crisis because they are from Riek's ethnic group. Peter remained loyal to SPLM under the leadership of President Salva Kiir Mayardit as a symbol of unity and national integration.

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