South Sudan’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Ramadan Abdallah Goc has been sacked, according to a decree announced on Wednesday.
Goc was appointed nearly a year ago.
The decree read out on the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) said Semaya Kumba has been appointed to replace Goc as the new foreign minister.
Semaya was deputy foreign minister and previously served as ambassador to China.
His appointment to head the foreign ministry comes on the heels of a diplomatic row with the United States over a deportee to the country who was reported to have been in the middle of a mistaken nationality. South Sudan had initially refused to accept the deportee which prompted the United States to slap a blanket visa ban all South Sudanese citizens.
However, Juba appeared to have backed down and accept Congolese national Makula Kintu into the country in a bid to defuse the row with Washington.
This was confirmed by foreign affairs spokesperson Apuk Ayuel Mayen.
Kintu was denied legal entry to Juba whose officials accused him of using travel documents belonging to one Nimeri Garang, a citizen of South Sudan.
Meanwhile in view of the volatile political situation over the continuing detention of first vice-president Riek Machar, President Kiir has been briefed by defence minister Gen. Chol Thon Balok, who said South Sudan is relatively stable.
He said this is particularly true of the capital Juba, Western Equatoria, Ruweng, and the eastern parts of Upper Nile State where White Army militants had attacked a military base last month.
WN/as/APA