President Salva Kiir dismissed Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel, who had been regarded as a potential future leader of the oil-producing nation. The decree was read on the state-run South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, without any explanation or immediate replacement.

Vice President Removed From Office

According to the decree, Kiir removed Bol from the vice presidency and from his post as deputy chair of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement.

The announcement, broadcast on state television on Wednesday, did not give reasons for the dismissal. No successor was named, leaving one of the key positions in the power-sharing structure temporarily vacant.

Sweeping Demotion Signals Rift

The president also stripped Bol of his rank in the security services, cutting him down from general to private.

The step goes beyond a simple cabinet reshuffle and points to a serious breakdown between the two men at the heart of the executive.

Observers see the move as another sign of political turbulence in Juba’s leadership, where alliances have repeatedly shifted since the end of the conflict in 2020.

Further Shake-Up In Economic Team

Kiir’s decision follows other recent changes in the economic sector. Last month he appointed a new finance minister, making this the eighth person to hold the Treasury portfolio in five years.

He also named Samuel Costa as the new central bank governor, replacing Addis Ababa Othow. In a further adjustment, William Anyuon Kuol was appointed commissioner general of the National Revenue Authority after the removal of Simon Akuei Deng.