JUBA (AEA) – South Sudanese President Salva Kiir dismissed his military chief and finance minister in a sweeping reshuffle on Thursday, a move analysts interpret as a consolidation of power ahead of long-delayed national elections.
State broadcaster SSBC announced the removal of Army Chief General Paul Nang and Finance Minister Salvatore Garang Mabiordit. General Santino Deng Wol, a staunch Kiir loyalist who previously held the post until 2024, was reappointed as the head of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF).
The removal of General Nang, who had served since October, comes amid a sharp spike in inter-communal violence and reports of rising discontent within the military ranks over unpaid salaries.
In the finance docket, the appointment of Kuol Daniel Ayulo, a career technocrat, is seen as a desperate attempt to stabilize an economy ravaged by hyperinflation and the disruption of oil exports through war-torn Sudan.
“These changes are not about policy; they are about loyalty and survival,” said a Juba-based political analyst who requested anonymity.
“By bringing back General Wol, Kiir is surrounding himself with the ‘old guard’ to ensure the military remains unified behind him as the 2018 peace agreement enters its most fragile phase.”
South Sudan is under intense international pressure to unify its rival armed forces and hold its first-ever general elections. However, the slow implementation of the security arrangements and a lack of transparency in oil revenue management have left the country in a state of perpetual transition.
The new Finance Minister, Mr. Ayulo, faces an uphill battle. The country’s primary source of revenue—oil—is currently crippled by the conflict in neighboring Sudan, which has damaged pipelines and export infrastructure.
Without a steady flow of petrodollars, the government has struggled to fund the institutions necessary to oversee a democratic vote.
For the citizens of the world’s youngest nation, the reshuffle is a familiar cycle. Since independence in 2011, Kiir has frequently changed his top lieutenants to prevent any single official from building a rival power base.
