Kiir’s latest presidential reshuffles spark regional balance concerns

JUBA – President Salva Kiir’s latest presidential reshuffles, announced on Thursday night, have reignited concerns over regional and ethnic balance in South Sudan’s national governance, after a series of senior appointments appeared to favour officials from the Greater Bahr el Ghazal region.

The decrees, read on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, affected key positions across the security sector, public institutions and the civil service.

While the presidency did not explain the changes, political actors and civil society figures quickly questioned the apparent concentration of appointments within one region, warning that the pattern risks deepening long-standing grievances over inclusion in state institutions.

The most politically sensitive changes were made within the National Security Service, one of the country’s most powerful institutions.

General Charles Chiech Mayor was dismissed as Director General of the Internal Security Bureau and replaced by Major General Mawien Mawien Ariik, who was simultaneously promoted to the rank of General.

In the education sector, President Kiir relieved Robert Mayom Deng of his duties as Vice Chancellor of the University of Juba and reappointed John Apuruot Akech to the position.

Akech’s return follows his public withdrawal from consideration for government office just a month ago, when he criticised political patronage and the treatment of public appointments as private assets.

On Thursday night, however, Akech welcomed the decision, saying he was “thrilled and humbled” to return to serve the university and thanking the president for the renewed trust. The leadership change comes amid persistent administrative instability, staff strikes and funding challenges at the country’s oldest public university.

Several senior civil service roles were also affected by the decrees. Caesar Oliha Marko was removed as Undersecretary in the Ministry of Transport and replaced by Paul Dhel Gum.

Daniel John Kifa was dismissed as Commissioner of the Financial Intelligence Unit, with Bona Gong Deng appointed as his successor. In the Ministry of Mining, Matiok Santino was replaced as Undersecretary by Deng Makuok Duyak, while at the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority, John Woja was removed as Director General and replaced by Ayiei Garang Deng.

The cumulative effect of the changes triggered sharp reactions from opposition figures and civil society voices, who argued that the reshuffles reflect a continued narrowing of political inclusion. Puok Both Baluang, the Acting Press Secretary in the Office of the suspended First Vice President, publicly questioned what qualifications citizens from communities such as the Otuho, Anyuak, Binga, Ara, Latuka, Toposa and Jiye must meet to be considered for senior national positions.

Exiled civil society activist Wani Michael went further, describing the reshuffles as the “Dinkalization of government institutions” and accusing President Kiir of eroding regional balance in public appointments. He argued that such patterns weaken the idea of a national government and reinforce grievances that have historically driven political and communal divisions in the country.

The latest decrees come as parties to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan push toward holding elections in 2026, a process already clouded by disputes over unilateral amendments to key provisions of the agreement and lingering mistrust over the inclusivity of state institutions.