South Sudan: President Kiir reinstalls former chief of staff after dismissal

On Wednesday, without giving an explanation, the president appointed General Paul Nang Majok to head the army, replacing Dau Aturjong. According to state television, this is a reinstatement of the former general whom Salva Kiir himself had dismissed three months earlier.

This decision is part of a series of frequent reshuffles within the armed forces and the government of South Sudan, in a context of ongoing armed conflicts and speculation about the president’s succession.

At 74, Salva Kiir leads a transitional government in this poor, fractured country since its independence from Sudan in 2011. The elections, already postponed twice, will take place in a tense atmosphere, with the First Vice President and Kiir’s main rival, Riek Machar, having been charged with treason last month.

As for Dau Aturjong, he was reassigned as a technical adviser to the Ministry of Defence.