By Matik Kueth
President Salva Kiir has sacked Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel as Vice President for the Economic Cluster in one of the most dramatic political collapses in South Sudan’s recent history, dismantling the influence of one of his fastest-rising allies.
In a move that has stunned both allies and rivals, President Salva Kiir late Wednesday night dismantled the power base of his once-trusted ally, Dr Benjamin Bol Mel, stripping him of every title, from Vice President and SPLM First Deputy Chairman to his hard-won rank of General in the National Security Service.
The sweeping purge, read on the state-run SSBC, came after security units were quietly withdrawn from Bol Mel’s home and office earlier in the day, an ominous prelude to what many insiders now describe as a calculated power reset ahead of the 2026 elections.
For months, Bol Mel’s rapid political rise had fueled talk of succession within the SPLM.
His growing influence, control over the economic cluster, and visible presence beside Kiir at party events made him appear untouchable, until Wednesday.
With a single stroke of the pen, Kiir not only ended Bol Mel’s climb but also sent an unmistakable warning to the rest of the ruling elite: loyalty remains the only true currency in Juba’s politics, even though Kiir did not provide reasons for his dismissal.
The President’s late-night decrees also swept aside several top figures, including SPLM Secretary General Paul Logale, Central Bank Governor Addis Ababa Othow, and Revenue Authority boss Simon Akuei, signaling what analysts call a full-scale political re-alignment as the country inches toward a tense electoral season.