(JUBA) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed several key allies of First Vice President Riek Machar from government positions, raising renewed doubts about the stability of the power-sharing agreement established under the 2018 peace deal.
The agreement, signed by Kiir, Machar, and other leaders, ended a five-year civil war and created a unity government tasked with drafting a permanent constitution, unifying the armed forces, and preparing the country for national elections.
In a late-night decree broadcast on state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation on Wednesday, President Kiir removed Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Bech George Anyak, replacing him with Yien Chan Ruei. The decree also affected Machar loyalists in both the Transitional National Legislative Assembly and the Council of States.
The move came a day after the African Union Peace and Security Council reiterated support for the 2018 agreement, urging progress toward elections and inclusive national dialogue.
First Vice President Machar, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), has been under house arrest since 26 March, accused of involvement in violence in Nasir County—a charge his supporters say is politically motivated.
The SPLM-IO has fractured into two factions. One aligns with President Kiir under Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol, while the other remains loyal to Machar, now led by acting chairman Oyet Nathaniel.
In the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Kiir revoked the appointments of Machar’s deputy, Nathaniel Oyet Pierino, as first deputy speaker, along with members Gai Mayen Luk, Regina Joseph Kapa, Farouk Gatkuoth Kam, and Daniel Juol Nhomngek. Their replacements are John Otto Marino, Maluong Achiran Mour, Julius Simon Rial, Peter Charliman Kawach, Mathiew Manyuot Mangar, and Tut Twach Nyau.
The Council of States also experienced a shakeup, with Speaker Deng Deng Akon and SPLM-IO Chief Whip Matata Frank Elikana replaced by Daniel Akot Akot and Peter Wani Elia Kulang.
Ousted lawmaker Daniel Juol Nhomngek told media that his removal was expected due to disagreements with Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba. He warned that losing parliamentary immunity could lead to his arrest but pledged to continue advocating for accountability and grassroots causes.
“They might remove immunity, and at any time, they can arrest me. But that will not change anything,” Nhomngek said. “Even if I am arrested or dead, the country must go on. My fight has been for the people who helped liberate this country but have been forgotten.”
He linked his dismissal to the broader suppression of dissent, citing Machar’s detention as an example of targeting those who speak for the people.
Joseph Malwal Dong, a senior SPLM-IO figure, accused President Kiir of undermining the peace process. “The president has made it clear he is not for peace,” Dong said. “He has abandoned the peace process and is choosing who to work with. Now we know he does not want SPLM-IO involved. If he doesn’t want peace, then we will have to decide our next steps.”
