South Sudan President Salva Kiir has dismissed Vice-President Benjamin Bol Mel in a sudden move that has raised concerns about political stability in the young nation. The announcement, made via a state television broadcast, also included the removal of Bol Mel’s military rank of general and his post in the National Security Service (NSS).
Alongside Bol Mel, the central bank governor and the head of the revenue authority—both close allies of the vice-president—were also relieved of their duties. No official explanation was given for the dismissals.
Bol Mel, 47, had been appointed vice-president only in February, replacing veteran politician James Wani Igga. He was later made the first deputy chairman of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), a position analysts said strengthened his profile as a potential successor to 74-year-old Kiir. He was also promoted to the rank of general in the NSS, despite ongoing US sanctions for alleged corruption first imposed in 2017.
The sudden move comes amid growing fears of renewed conflict following the collapse of a fragile power-sharing agreement between Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar. Machar, who was sacked as vice-president earlier this year, faces charges including murder, treason, and crimes against humanity, which he has described as a “political witch-hunt.”
Speculation on social media suggested an internal SPLM power struggle. A senior government official, speaking anonymously, described Bol Mel as a “divisive figure” in government. Some residents in Juba and Bol Mel’s hometown of Aweil reportedly welcomed the decision.
Hours before the announcement, Bol Mel’s security detail was reportedly withdrawn from his residence and office in Juba. The president has yet to name replacements for the positions held by Bol Mel and his allies.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation since its 2011 secession from Sudan, has faced intermittent violence and political tensions since a civil war erupted in 2013. The 2018 peace agreement has struggled to maintain stability, and elections have been postponed twice in recent years.
The dismissals signal potential shifts in South Sudan’s political landscape and raise concerns that unresolved rivalries could destabilise the nation further.
