South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir on Wednesday dismissed Western Equatoria state Deputy Governor Daniel Badagbu Rimbasa of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and replaced him with Justin Joseph Marona from the opposition SPLM-IO.
Badagbu had held the position for 10 months.
The move, announced on state broadcaster SSBC, is part of a broader reshuffle that has removed key allies of First Vice President Riek Machar, leader of the SPLM-IO, from government positions. Machar has been detained since March.
SPLM-IO officials criticized the dismissals, calling them an attempt to sideline the party and undermine the peace process.
The SPLM-IO has fractured, with one faction aligning with Kiir under Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol and another remaining loyal to Machar, now led by acting chairman Oyet Nathaniel.
Kiir also fired four ambassadors: John Andruga Duku, Mayen Dut Wol, Riek Puok Riek and Joshua Franco Paul.
No reason was given, though the decree cited presidential powers under South Sudan’s Diplomatic and Consular Act. Andruga, a former ambassador to China, is a supporter of the ruling SPLM.
In separate decrees targeting Eastern Equatoria state, Kiir dismissed Agnes Odwar Aquilino, Eastern Equatoria’s labor minister, and Clement Otto Kulo, deputy chair of the HIV/AIDS Commission, both from the National Agenda party. They were replaced by Dominic Othwari Obondio and Ambrose Locha Charles, respectively.
The 2018 peace deal, signed by Kiir, Machar and other leaders, ended a five-year civil war and established a unity government tasked with drafting a permanent constitution, unifying armed forces and preparing for elections. However, progress has stalled, raising concerns over the agreement’s future.