In a most recent major purging of the country’s economic and security institutions, President Salva Kiir of South Sudan fired both General Santino Deng Wol, the army leader, and Alic Garang, the governor of the central bank. These terminations, which were made public by presidential decree, mark a significant reorganization of important people in the administrative, financial, and military domains.
General Wol has been relocated as an undersecretary at the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs, while General Paul Nang Majok has taken over as the new leader of the military. The new central bank governor is Johnny Ohisa Damia, who previously held the role. Additionally, Yeni Samuel Costa has taken the post of Samuel Yanga Mikaya, the Bank of South Sudan’s first deputy governor. At the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Garang Majak has been dismissed as first undersecretary, with Arop Nuoi Arop taking over.
Reasons For Dismissals
The dismissals follow recent purges of police and intelligence chiefs, raising questions about the motives behind these frequent leadership changes. While the government may frame this as an attempt to improve governance amid economic challenges, the rapid turnover contributes to instability and a lack of institutional memory, potentially hindering effective policy implementation.
The South Sudanese military has seen a revolving door of chief of defence forces, reflecting the ongoing challenges of security sector reform, including the unification of army factions following the 2018 peace deal that created the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU). The TGoNU’s mandate was recently extended to February 2026 due to delays in preparations for elections originally scheduled for December 2024. Further illustrating the ongoing security sector reorganization, President Kiir also replaced Inspector General of Police Atem Marol with General Abraham Peter Manyuat.
No official reasons were given for the dismissals, with President Kiir citing his constitutional authority to appoint and remove officials. These changes occur amidst significant challenges for South Sudan, including economic instability, ongoing security concerns, and the implementation of the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
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Source: The EastAfrican
