South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit has dismissed his influential deputy Benjamin Bol Mel, ending months of speculation about a growing power rift inside Juba’s ruling establishment.
The announcement, made late Tuesday night through a presidential decree broadcast on state television, removed Bol Mel as Vice President in charge of the Economic Cluster and stripped him of his military rank and SPLM party roles.
No immediate replacement has been named.
The Fall of a Rising Star
Bol Mel’s ouster marks a stunning fall for a man widely viewed as Kiir’s preferred successor. Appointed vice president in February 2025, Bol Mel’s meteoric rise was seen as a sign of Kiir’s trust in him to steer the economic docket during turbulent times.
A wealthy businessman with close ties to the presidency, Bol Mel oversaw massive oil-for-roads infrastructure projects, many of which have drawn criticism over alleged mismanagement.
A recent UN Panel of Experts report accused companies linked to Bol Mel of siphoning off more than $1.7 billion from oil revenues meant for infrastructure projects.
Crackdown or Power Play?
The presidency did not disclose reasons for the firing, but political observers believe the move signals a major realignment in Kiir’s inner circle ahead of the country’s long-delayed elections.
“This is less about corruption and more about control,” one Juba-based analyst told Uganda Ledger. “Bol Mel had grown into a power center of his own, something no president in the region tolerates for long.”
Security sources said Bol Mel’s security detail was withdrawn earlier in the day, an unusual move that hinted at internal tensions before the decree was read.
Wider Purge Across the Economic Front
Bol Mel’s dismissal was part of a broader shake-up that also claimed the Central Bank Governor and the Revenue Authority Commissioner-General.
Analysts say Kiir is moving to reassert authority over the economic institutions, which have faced growing public frustration over inflation, a plunging currency, and unpaid civil servants.
The reshuffle comes as donors and investors demand greater accountability before releasing fresh support to the world’s youngest nation.
Uncertain Future
By Wednesday morning, Bol Mel had not commented publicly. Party insiders said he had been “advised to stay quiet” as security agencies “review his files.”
His dismissal leaves the economic cluster leaderless, raising questions about the continuity of critical reforms, including the government’s new oil revenue stabilization plan.
Observers warn that the shake-up could unsettle the delicate power balance within the SPLM, potentially reawakening factional rivalries that the 2018 peace deal had only partially calmed.
History Repeating Itself
Kiir has repeatedly dismissed high-profile allies, including Riek Machar and Taban Deng Gai, who later became rivals.
Bol Mel’s fall, some analysts say, reinforces Kiir’s long-standing strategy of keeping potential challengers “close but disposable.”
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