South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Thursday night dismissed Foreign Minister Ambassador James Pitia Morgan and appointed him as his envoy to the Great Lakes Region among other changes in the foreign ministry leadership.

In a Republican Decree read on the state-owned television, South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), the president appointed Ramadan Abdala Goc, the immediate former deputy foreign minister, as the substantive Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Before he was appointed foreign minister in August 2023, James Pitia Morgan served as South Sudanese Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union.

President Kiir also appointed former South Sudan Ambassador to China, Monday Semaya Kumba, as the new deputy foreign minister.

Relatedly, the president appointed John Samuel Bwogo as the undersecretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He replaces Mayen Dut Anyakdit who has been moved to become South Sudan’s ambassador to China. Before his appointment, John Samuel Bwogo served as South Sudan’s envoy to Saudi Arabia.

In Kiir’s characteristic style, no reasons were given for the changes.           

President Kiir, SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar, and other opposition figures signed a peace agreement in 2018 that ended five years of civil war.

The parties to the peace agreement agreed in August 2022 to extend the transitional period which is due to expire in February 2025. The parties are expected to hold general elections in December 2024.