South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit, who also leads the ruling SPLM, has dismissed and appointed a number of cabinet ministers in a mini-reshuffle affecting positions allocated to the opposition SPLM-IO under the transitional power-sharing arrangement.
In a decree broadcast on state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Wednesday evening, Kiir removed Lasuba Lodoru Wango, Minister for Federal Affairs; Martin Gama Abocha, Minister of Mining; Peter Marcelo Nasir, Minister of Energy and Dams; and Ayaa Benjamin Warile, Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare.
All of the dismissed ministers are leading members of the SPLM-IO faction loyal to detained First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, except Losuba Lodoru Wango.
Mr. Lasuba currently serves as deputy chairperson of the SPLM-IO interim leadership led by Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol. That faction broke away from the SPLM-IO in April 2025 following the detention of party leader Riek Machar.
President Kiir’s camp recognises the interim SPLM-IO faction as the legitimate representative of the SPLM-IO party within government, arguing that it is necessary to advance implementation of the 2018 peace agreement and prepare for elections scheduled for December 2026. This has effectively sidelined the SPLM-IO faction loyal to Machar, who has been in detention since March 2025 and is facing treason charges before a special court in Juba.
President Kiir subsequently appointed Pur Solomon Gok as Minister of Federal Affairs, Lasuba Lodoru Wango as Minister of Mining, replacing Martin Gama Abocha, and Agok Makur Kur — the interim SPLM-IO leadership’s secretary-general — as Minister of Energy and Dams. Nuna Rudolf Bidivu was named Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, replacing Ayaa Benjamin Warile.
Analysts say the reshuffle appears aimed at removing the remaining Machar loyalists from the national cabinet, a move they argue could deepen internal divisions within the SPLM-IO.
Political observer Edmund Yakani told Radio Tamazuj that the split between supporters of Stephen Par and those loyal to Machar was likely to worsen, potentially creating further political complications.
“The experience of the 2016 split within the SPLM-IO forced the country to revitalize the 2015 peace agreement. Now the same experience is repeating itself,” he said. “The peace monitoring body RJMEC meetings will be influenced by Machar loyalists, while the government will be influenced by Par loyalists. This creates serious political complications.”
Yakani, who has recently been spearheading consultative dialogue among signatories to the 2018 peace agreement, said the only way out of the current political impasse was inclusive dialogue — something he warned was becoming increasingly difficult as political developments move rapidly.
Last month, the presidency and cabinet approved amendments to key provisions of the 2018 peace agreement, delinking the December 2026 general elections from the permanent constitution-making process, a political census and other institutional reforms.
The amendments also included the removal of provisions stating that the 2018 peace agreement takes precedence over the constitution.
The 2018 peace deal, signed by President Kiir, Riek Machar and other political leaders, has faced repeated delays, including missed election timelines. Elections have been postponed several times and are now scheduled for December 2026, despite objections from Machar loyalists who say the presidency-led consultations excluded them.