South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit has sacked Vice-President Josephine Lagu Yanga in the latest reshuffle of the country’s transitional government.
In a presidential decree broadcast on Thursday evening by the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, President Kiir reappointed Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, the minister of agriculture, as vice-president. No official reason was given for the dismissal.
The 2018 peace deal grants the president the prerogative to appoint and dismiss government officials at both national and state levels. However, he can only dismiss officials who belong to other political parties with the consent of those parties’ leadership.
It remains unclear whether the dismissal of Ms. Josephine Lagu was recommended by her coalition, as the SSOA faction has not yet commented on the matter.
Josephine Lagu serves as the chairperson of a faction of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), a coalition of political parties that is a signatory to the 2018 peace agreement. Mr. Abdelbagi also heads a faction of the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA). The coalition split into two factions after the formation of the transitional unity government, and the ruling SPLM party recognises both.
Abdelbagi, who hails from Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, will now serve as vice-president in charge of the service cluster. He has been widely seen as a close ally of the president despite his roots in the opposition alliance.
This appointment marks a reversal of a February 2025 decree in which Abdelbagi was demoted to minister of agriculture and Ms. Lagu was elevated to the vice-presidency. Under the 2018 power-sharing agreement, the position of vice-president for the service cluster is specifically allocated to the SSOA.
South Sudan has five vice-presidents under the 2018 peace agreement intended to end the civil war. The most senior among them, opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar, is currently under house arrest and facing trial on treason charges. Dr. Machar was suspended last year and has been standing trial since September 2025.
International and regional peace monitors have warned that the implementation of the 2018 agreement has been weakened by unilateral decisions by the ruling SPLM. Fears of a return to civil war are growing as uncertainty surrounds the succession of the 74-year-old Kiir, who has repeatedly sacked and reinstated senior officials.
Analysts view these moves as efforts to navigate turbulent political moments and consolidate power amid internal shifts.
In a separate order, President Kiir established an Inter-Party High-Level Steering Body to manage political dialogue on the roadmap towards national elections. The formation of the body is grounded in Article 106A (2C) of the Transitional Constitution of 2011 and follows Republican Order No. 1 of 2026.
The Steering Body is mandated to organise the official launch of the political dialogue process, oversee inter-party dialogue to reach consensus on the electoral timeline, review technical and legal frameworks, provide regular progress reports, and engage stakeholders to ensure inclusivity.
Members of the Steering Committee include Chairperson Tut Gatluak Manime from the SPLM; Co-Chairperson Stephen Par Kuol from the SPLM-IO faction; Deputy Co-Chair Dr Akol Paul Kordit (SPLM); Rapporteur Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro (National Agenda); Deputy Rapporteur Africano Mande Gedima (SPLM); Deputy Rapporteur Albino Akol Atak from Other Political Parties (OPP); Deputy Rapporteur Denay Jock Chagor (SSOA); Deputy Rapporteur Nunu Roda Rudolf (SPLM-IO); and Deputy Rapporteur Julius Tabuley Daniel (NAS).
However, civil society leader Edmund Yakani questioned the necessity of the new body, suggesting it may overlap with the existing National Transitional Committee (NTC).
“The committee established will clash with the National Transitional Committee over mandates,” Yakani said. “The approach of using a messed-up strategy to manage the transitional process is a real threat to the fate of the December 2026 elections. The tactic of creating so many different committees on the same subject matter appears to be a strategy aimed at securing a new extension of the transitional period and postponing elections.”
South Sudan has not conducted an election since independence. The first nationwide vote was scheduled for 2015 but was derailed by the conflict that erupted in December 2013. The vote has been postponed repeatedly under the 2018 peace agreement, with the transitional government stating that the election will now take place in December 2026.