President Salva Kiir of South Sudan has dismissed Vice-President Benjamin Bol Mel. Simultaneously, Bol Mel was stripped of his military rank as general and removed from the national security service. The central bank governor and the head of the revenue authority, identified as close associates of Bol Mel, were also relieved of their duties.
These dismissals were announced via a decree broadcast on state television, with no official explanation provided. The actions occur amidst ongoing concerns regarding political instability and the potential for a return to civil conflict, following the recent collapse of a power-sharing agreement between President Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar.
Bol Mel, aged 47, was appointed vice-president in February, replacing James Wani Igga. He also assumed the role of first deputy chairman of the ruling SPLM party. The United States previously imposed sanctions against Bol Mel for alleged corruption in 2017, which were renewed this year. The US Treasury described Bol Mel as Kiir's "principal financial advisor," a characterization Kiir's office denied. Bol Mel has not publicly commented on the corruption allegations or his dismissal. Replacements for the vacated positions have not yet been announced.
Social media has featured speculation regarding an internal power struggle within the SPLM party. An anonymous senior government official characterized Bol Mel as a "divisive figure" within the government.
South Sudan, an oil-producing nation, gained independence in 2011. A civil war erupted two years later involving Kiir and Machar. A 2018 power-sharing agreement aimed at ending the conflict has faced numerous challenges, with persistent tensions and sporadic violence. Planned national elections have been postponed twice in the past three years, and fighting between forces loyal to the president and armed groups has recently intensified.
Earlier this year, Machar was dismissed as vice-president, arrested, and subsequently charged with murder, treason, and crimes against humanity. His spokesperson described these charges as a "political witch-hunt." The charges followed an attack attributed by the government to a militia allegedly linked to Machar, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of 250 soldiers and a general. The case against Machar is currently ongoing.