South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has appointed his deputy, Monday Simaya Kumba, as the new foreign minister, as reported by state media. This change comes in the wake of a diplomatic dispute with the United States.
The dismissal of Foreign Minister Ramadan Mohamed was announced on state radio late Wednesday, but no reasons were provided for his removal.
This decision follows tensions with Washington regarding Juba’s refusal to allow a Congolese man, who had been deported from the U.S., to enter South Sudan. The Trump administration had warned that it might revoke all U.S. visas held by South Sudanese citizens if the situation was not resolved.
On Tuesday, South Sudan complied with U.S. demands and permitted the man to enter the country.
In a separate development, a faction of South Sudan’s main opposition party, the SPLM-IO, announced on Wednesday that it had replaced its chairman, First Vice President Riek Machar, with Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol as an interim leader until Machar is released from house arrest.
This decision has faced criticism from other party members and may enable Kiir to remove his long-time rival Machar, thereby strengthening his control over the government by appointing Kuol, according to analysts.
“President Kiir seeks individuals who align with his views to establish the government’s legitimacy,” stated Kuol Abraham Nyuon, a political science professor at the University of Juba.
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Machar’s party has refuted government claims that it supports the White Army, an ethnic militia that engaged in conflict with the army in the northeastern town of Nasir last month, which has led to the current political turmoil.
Last week, African Union mediators arrived in Juba in an effort to salvage the peace agreement, although they did not seem to achieve any significant advancements.
On Thursday, various embassies in Juba, including those of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union, reiterated their demand for the immediate release of all political prisoners.
“It is crucial for the leaders of South Sudan to fulfill their responsibilities and show that their primary focus is on peace,” they stated in a collective announcement.
The SPLM-IO asserted that Machar’s imprisonment has effectively nullified the agreement that concluded the five-year civil war, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands. However, the party later expressed its commitment to maintaining the agreement.
The military wing of the SPLM-IO has remained loyal to Machar, with spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel stating on Wednesday that they are “not associated with the traitors in Juba.”
Analysts suggest that Kiir, 73, seems to be attempting to strengthen his position amid growing dissatisfaction within his political faction and ongoing speculation regarding his succession plans.
