By Matik Kueth
President Salva Kiir Mayardit has reinstated Tut Gatluak as Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs, marking the return of one of his most trusted allies to the powerful post he held for nearly 11 years before his removal on January 10th, 2025.
State-run South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) announced Gatluak’s reappointment on Monday evening in a presidential decree.
The decree simultaneously relieved National Security Advisor Madut Dut Yel of his duties, bringing Gatluak back to the center of the country’s security establishment.
Gatluak, who hails from Mayom County in Unity State, is widely viewed as a key political operator and a central figure in the implementation of South Sudan’s peace processes.
His return is seen by many as a strategic move by Kiir to reinforce stability within the presidency and consolidate control over national security affairs at a time of renewed political and economic turbulence.
Celebrations were reported in parts of Juba’s Mangateen camp, where displaced women from Gatluak’s home community ululated in joy over his reappointment, praising President Kiir for restoring their son to a position they described as “a symbol of hope and peace.”
The reinstatement comes amid a sweeping reshuffle across several top government and military posts.
In the same series of decrees, Kiir dismissed Finance Minister Athian Diing Athian, the eighth change in the position since 2020, and replaced him with Dr. Barnaba Baak Chol, who previously served in the same role between August 2023 and March 2024.
The president also removed Ambassador Chol Mawut Ajongo as Minister of Presidential Affairs, appointing Africano Mande Gedima, the former head of the South Sudan Revenue Authority, in his place.
Further changes included the dismissal of Amb. Ajiing Deng as executive director in the Office of the President, and the reappointment of James Deng Wal to the post.
At the Ministry of Petroleum, Engineer Deng Lual Wol was replaced by Dr. Chol Thon Abel as undersecretary, while in the military, Lt. Gen. Philip Nyon was named commander of the elite Tiger Division, succeeding Maj. Gen. Valentino Bak Makuei.
The sweeping changes come as South Sudan grapples with deepening economic hardships, a depreciating currency, and a cash shortage that has forced banks to cap daily withdrawals.
With the country facing mounting pressure to implement the remaining provisions of the 2018 peace deal ahead of long-delayed elections, Gatluak’s comeback may signal a renewed focus on security coordination between the presidency and key institutions responsible for peace implementation.