Two out of the five vice-presidents in South Sudan have been sacked by President Salva Kiir after a series of decrees were issued to that effect, APA can report on Tuesday.
The head of the country’s intelligence agency was also among several others removed.
The government gave no explanation for the dismissals which comes as South Sudan continues in a climate of political uncertainty over postponed elections which were originally scheduled for 2024 but have now been slated for 2026.
The world’s newest nation has been riven by civil conflict and had never held elections since becoming independent from the rest of Sudan in July 2011.
A 2018 peace accord paved the way for the installation of a power-sharing government with five vice-presidents.
This includes President Kiir’s long-term political nemesis Riak Machar who still maintains his role as the country’s first vice-president.
The two VPs sacked are James Wani Igga, the deputy leader of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party and Hussein Abdelbagi Akol of the opposition alliance South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) formed in 2018 as a coalition of political parties and armed movements.
However President Kiir has appointed Akol as agriculture minister to replace Josephine Joseph Lagu who is now vice-president.
Benjamin Bol Mel replaces Igga as vice president. Mel who had been indicted by the US over corruption is widely tipped as a Salva Kiir’s possible successor.
Meanwhile the health ministerial position which has been rendered vacant by the spate of dismissals has not been filled.
The governor of Western Equatoria, a political ally of Mr Machar who was also sacked has not been replaced.
So is the position of Akec Tong Aleu, who was dismissed as head of South Sudan’s spy agency since last October.
WN/as/APA