South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed the country’s military chief, General Dau Aturjong, and reinstated his predecessor, General Paul Nang Majok, just three months after removing him from the same position.
The abrupt reshuffle, announced late Wednesday on state-run South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, offered no explanation but underscored the persistent volatility within the country’s top military ranks.
Aturjong, who took over in July, was reassigned as a technical adviser at the Ministry of Defence. His removal marks yet another high-level shake-up under Kiir, who has frequently rotated key security and political figures during his 13-year rule.
Majok’s reinstatement follows his July dismissal, which came shortly after renewed fighting in the country’s northeast, where government forces were briefly overrun by a militia affiliated with First Vice President Riek Machar’s Nuer ethnic group.
Machar, Kiir’s longtime rival and co-architect of the 2018 peace agreement, has been under house arrest since March and is currently on trial for treason, murder, and crimes against humanity, charges he denies.
His detention has reignited fears of renewed civil conflict, with his supporters accusing Kiir’s administration of violating the fragile peace accord.
Observers say Kiir’s repeated reshuffles in the army and government are part of a broader effort to consolidate power and balance competing ethnic and political factions.
“These frequent changes reflect attempts to maintain loyalty within the military while preventing any single group from becoming too influential,” said one regional analyst.
The 74-year-old president has ruled South Sudan since its independence from Sudan in 2011, presiding over a transitional government that has twice postponed national elections.
The country remains mired in economic hardship, political instability, and accusations of widespread corruption, with a recent U.N. report alleging “systematic looting” of public wealth by senior leaders.
Kiir’s latest move adds to growing uncertainty about the country’s stability and his eventual succession, as South Sudan struggles to maintain peace amid simmering tensions within both the military and government.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
