The security situation in the region began to deteriorate , however , when Kiir replaced SPLA Chief of the General Staff James Hoth Mai , an ethnic Nuer , with Paul Malong Awan , a Dinka , in April 2014 . This move caused unrest among Nuer soldiers of the SPLA , who believed that members of their ethnic group were sidelined in the military . Furthermore , Malong had previously served as governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal where his authoritarian rule had provided stability . By contrast , his successor as governor , Kuel Aguer Kuel , was " widely seen as ill suited to governing the state in a time of political and military crisis " , and instability subsequently grew in Northern Bahr el Ghazal . Furthermore , ethnic tensions in the region heightened when it became known that Nuer rebels had committed a major massacre against Dinka civilians and soldiers in Bentiu . Some of the victims had families in Bahr el Ghazal , contributing the animosity of locals against ethnic Nuer
major massacre
2014 Bentiu massacre
2014 retreat from Western Bahr el Ghazal