South Sudan’s President Kiir Reshuffles Ruling Party Leadership Amidst Succession Speculation and Renewed Fighting

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has reshuffled the senior leadership within the ruling party, SPLM, according to an official decree. This comes as the country grapples with renewed clashes between rival armed factions and increased speculation regarding Kiir’s succession plans.

Kiir, 73, promoted Second Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel, a sanctioned ally, to the position of SPLM party’s deputy chairperson. The decree was broadcast on state television on Tuesday night, just weeks after the United Nations warned that the country was nearing a return to civil war.

Political analysts widely view Bol Mel as Kiir’s chosen successor. Bol Mel was sanctioned by the United States in 2017 due to suspicions that his construction company received preferential treatment in the awarding of government contracts.

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Should Kiir step down, Bol Mel’s new role as the SPLM party’s deputy chairperson would position him as the acting president of South Sudan.

The reshuffle follows months of political instability, during which authorities placed First Vice President Riek Machar, Kiir’s longtime rival, under house arrest, accusing him of attempting to incite a rebellion.

Machar’s opposition party denied these charges, asserting that the move effectively nullified the 2018 peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war between Kiir’s Dinka forces and Nuer fighters loyal to Machar.

Western countries, including the United States, Britain, and Germany, responded by closing embassies or reducing operations in South Sudan.

The ruling party shake-up on Tuesday night also involved Kiir demoting three veterans of South Sudan’s liberation struggle, including former Second Vice President James Wani Igga, as stated in the decree broadcast on state television.

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