South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed Monica Achol Abel as the country’s ambassador to Kenya and as a diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to a decree issued on Wednesday.
The announcement was made on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), though no specific reasons were provided for her removal.
The decree cited the President’s constitutional powers to appoint and dismiss government officials under the Diplomatic and Consular Service Act 2011 and the Interpretation of Laws and General Provisions Act 2006.
“Pursuant to the provisions of Section 37(f) and 25(i) of the Diplomatic and Consular Service Act 2011, read together with Section 38(i) of the Interpretation of Laws and General Provisions Act 2006, I, Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, do hereby terminate the service of Ambassador Monica Achol Abel as a diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation,” the decree stated.
Ambassador Abel was appointed to the role in November 2024, succeeding Chol Ajongo Mawut, who was reassigned as Minister of Presidential Affairs in August of the same year.
President Kiir has frequently exercised his authority to reshuffle government officials, often within months of their appointments. The latest move has raised questions, though no further details have been provided about the circumstances surrounding Ambassador Abel’s dismissal.
The South Sudanese government has yet to announce a replacement for the position.