Kiir dismisses two vice-presidents, spy chief
South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir has dismissed two of his vice-presidents, the country’s spy chief and several other senior officials. The dismissals were announced through a series of presidential decrees broadcast on state television with no reasons given for the sudden changes.
The affected vice-presidents are James Wani Igga, a veteran politician and general who has held the position since 2013 and Hussein Abdelbagi Akol from the opposition alliance SSOA. Akol has been reassigned as the minister for agriculture replacing Josephine Joseph Lagu, who will now take over as vice-president.
Benjamin Bol Mel, a special presidential envoy and former subject of US sanctions for alleged corruption has been appointed to replace Igga as vice-president. Mel’s appointment has sparked speculation that he may be positioned as a potential successor to Kiir.
The president has also sacked the country’s spy chief, Akec Tong Aleu who had only been in office since October. The position remains vacant with no replacement announced.
The dismissals come as South Sudan struggles to implement the 2018 peace agreement which has been fraught with challenges. The agreement established a power-sharing government with five vice-presidents, including Kiir’s longtime rival, Riek Machar.
The changes have raised questions about the stability of the government and the potential implications for the country’s fragile peace process. The SPLM-In Opposition, led by Machar has not commented on the matter leaving uncertainty about the future of the coalition government.
South Sudan has not held elections since gaining independence in 2011 with the most recent polls postponed multiple times. The country’s leadership has announced that elections will now take place in December 2026 but the delay has raised concerns about the government’s commitment to democratic principles.
