South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit has removed Vice President Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel from all of his official political and military positions, in a sweeping cabinet reshuffle that signals a significant shakeup within the leadership of South Sudan. According to South Sudanese state television, the presidential decrees stripping Bol Mel of his position as vice president and first deputy chairman of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) were broadcast late Wednesday.
In addition to his dismissal from office, Bol Mel was demoted from the rank of general to private within South Sudan’s National Security Service, and dismissed outright from the security apparatus. The decrees also removed several other top government officials, including the central bank governor and the head of the revenue authority, further underscoring the scope of the government reorganization.
Although no formal reason was given for the vice president’s removal, the events followed mounting tension between Kiir and Bol Mel, including reports of changes to the presidential security detail made without the president’s approval. Bol Mel’s office had previously denied rumors of his house arrest and insisted he was still working to implement the president’s vision for development. The abrupt change fuels speculation about deepening divisions and volatile relations at the highest levels of leadership in Juba.
Bol Mel, who had previously served as a close adviser to President Kiir and as first deputy chairman of SPLM, was promoted to general only a few months ago and was widely viewed as a potential successor to Kiir. His demotion puts a dramatic end to his rapid rise, while vacancies left in the top leadership have yet to be filled. The reshuffle occurs at a time when South Sudan is struggling with the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement and is preparing for long-delayed national elections amid continuing tensions within the ruling party.
Internationally, Bol Mel’s dismissal also has implications, as he remains under U.S. sanctions related to alleged corruption in government contracts. The situation has sparked widespread commentary in South Sudan and abroad and raised further questions about the political stability and direction of the world’s youngest nation
