South Sudan: Kiir Sacks Army Chief, IGP and Central Bank Governor

South Sudan: Kiir Sacks Army Chief, IGP and Central Bank Governor

Juba, South Sudan — November 21, 2024: South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has made sweeping changes to the country’s security and financial leadership.

In a series of decrees broadcast on state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Monday night, Kiir removed key figures in the military, police, and financial sectors. 

Among the most notable changes, Gen. Santino Deng Wol was replaced as Chief of Defense Forces by the army’s chief of military operations, Gen. Paul Nang Majok, while Gen. Atem Marol Biar was dismissed as Inspector General of Police and succeeded by the law enforcement body’s Assistant IGP (Finance), Gen. Abraham Peter Manyuat.

The changes also extended to the Bank of South Sudan, where Garang Alic was replaced as governor by Johnny Ohisa Damian, who previously held the position.

 Additionally, shifts in the Ministry of Finance included the dismissal of Garang Majak as first undersecretary, with Arop Nuoi Arop taking his place.

Arop has been serving as the Director General in Charge of Budget and Revenue at the Finance Ministry.

Tensions

These high-level changes follow weeks of growing unease in South Sudan’s capital.

On the evening of November 21, a gunfight broke out at the Juba residence of former National Security Service (NSS) Director General Akol Koor Kuc. 

According to Army Spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang, the confrontation involved security forces assigned to Koor’s protection, leaving four people dead and two injured.

The incident left Juba residents shaken, with heightened security deployments visible across the city. 

While officials initially downplayed the event as a “misunderstanding” between security forces, later reports suggested it stemmed from an attempt to relocate Koor to another residence in the Jeel suburb.

Koor, a powerful figure in South Sudan’s security apparatus since independence in 2011, was dismissed in October and briefly nominated as governor of Warrap State—a decision that was rescinded upon his return to Juba. Analysts see his removal as part of an intensifying power struggle within Kiir’s administration.

This week’s reshuffle builds on earlier moves by Kiir to reassert control over key institutions amid mounting political and security challenges. 

In recent months, the transitional government has faced criticism over delayed elections, originally scheduled for December 2024 but postponed for the second time.

Observers have linked the delays to internal divisions within the ruling coalition, including tensions between Kiir and his First Vice President, Riek Machar. The sudden changes in leadership are widely viewed as an attempt by Kiir to consolidate power and neutralize potential dissent within the security forces and financial institutions.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) recently urged Juba to focus on “stability and the implementation of the peace agreement to avoid a return to widespread conflict.”

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