South Sudanese President Salva Kiir dismissed Warrap State Governor Lt. Gen. Magok Magok following a surge in communal violence that left scores dead, state media announced Wednesday.
No official reason was given for Magok’s removal, just three months after his appointment.
He was replaced by Bol Wek Agoth, a former chief of state protocol and acting chief administrator in the president’s office, according to the state-run SSBC.
Warrap State, the home state of President Kiir, has faced recurring violence, including revenge killings and cattle raids, exacerbating instability.
Last week, clashes in Tonj East County killed dozens, destroyed homes, and displaced many.
Magok is the latest in a series of short-lived governors of Warrap state. His predecessor, Gen. Francis Abur, was fired in February 2025, following Kuol Muor Muor’s removal in October 2024.
The appointment of Gen. Akol Koor Kuc, a former intelligence chief, was also revoked before taking office.
Analysts warn that frequent leadership changes disrupt public services and hinder government strategies.
Kiir has often reshuffled officials, including governors and senior postholders, within months of their appointments.
Edmund Yakani, a civil society activist and head of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), called Magok’s removal a “positive response” to calls for better governance.
However, he urged the new governor to adopt a clear strategy to curb violence, warning that Warrap’s political elites in the capital, Juba, have fueled unrest to force leadership changes in the state.
“Bol Wek Agoth can only succeed if the president disciplines these elites,” Yakani told Radio Tamazuj, alleging that recent bloodshed in Tonj East was politically motivated.