By Matik Kueth
South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir, has dismissed several high-ranking government officials, including Dr. James Wani Igga, Vice President for Economic Cluster, and Hussein Abdelbagi, Vice President for Service Cluster in a sweeping change within the government.
In presidential decrees read on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Monday night, Kiir appointed Dr. Bol Mel as the new Vice President for the Economic Cluster, replacing Dr. Igga.
Meanwhile, Abdelbagi, who represented the opposition South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) under the 2018 peace agreement, was relieved of his duties and replaced with Josephine Lagu, as the new Vice President for Service Cluster while Abdelbagi was appointed Minister of Agriculture.
The reasons behind these unexpected dismissals were not provided by President Kiir, leading to speculation about the motivations for such a dramatic reshuffle.
In another decree, Kiir dismissed Gen. Akec Tong Aleu, the Director-General of the Internal Security Bureau of the National Security Service, and appointed Gen. Charles Chiek Mayo as the acting chief of the bureau.
In a surprising move, President Kiir appointed Dr. James Wani Igga as the new Secretary-General of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), replacing Peter Lam Both.
However, several other high-ranking officials faced dismissal, including Yolanda Awel Deng, who was relieved of her position as Minister of Health without a successor.
He also dismissed Governor Alfred Futuyo Karaba, a member of the SPLM-IO, from his post as the governor of Western Equatoria State, with no announcement of a replacement.
On the other hand, Kiir further appointed Tut Gatluak Manime as South Sudan’s Ambassador to Kuwait after being removed from his previous role as the presidential envoy for the Middle East.
This sweeping reshuffle comes just two days after President Kiir’s return from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he engaged in bilateral talks with leaders from the Gulf Kingdom.