South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit has sacked the head of national oil company Nilepet, according to a presidential decree.
Managing Director Eng. Mohammed Lino Benjamin was relieved of his duties, according to a decree broadcast on state television on Thursday night. Lino had been in the job since July 10.
Eng. Ayuel Ngor Kwocgor was named as new managing director, it said.
The president did not give reasons for the changes at the top leadership of the government-owned oil company Nilepet.
The main pipeline carrying South Sudan oil through Sudan for export was halted in February because of damage stemming from a war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Landlocked South Sudan was producing 150,000 b/d of crude oil until February, when it declared force majeure on crude loadings from Port Sudan due to the pipeline outage.
Some 90% of South Sudan government revenues and most of its foreign exchange come from oil exports.
On Tuesday, several former Sudanese officials said the resumption of pumping South Sudan’s crude oil faces major challenges as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) controlled the EL Eliaifoon oil pipeline for nearly one year, which forced the withdrawal of workers from the station.
“South Sudan’s government has a role to play in this, they can contact the higher commanders of the RSF to allow workers to resume their work and offer them protection,” Mohamed Abdullah, a former Sudanese oil minister, told Radio Tamazuj.