US EditionSouth Sudan’s president fires deputy Bol, who was seen as possible successor
- On Wednesday, South Sudan President Salva Kiir dismissed Benjamin Bol Mel as vice president and deputy ruling-party leader via a decree read on state television, also reducing his military rank from general to private.
- Amid speculation, Kiir's decree offered no explanation for Bol's removal, following hours of local talk after Bol Mel's security detail appeared reduced; Bol Mel faces U.S. Treasury sanctions since 2017 and a U.N. report accusing $1.7 billion in suspect contracts.
- Appointed one of five vice presidents in February, Benjamin Bol Mel's rapid rise and apparent succession status drew sharp pushback from Juba political and security elites.
- The moves add to relentless turnover in the country's top ranks, heightening instability; South Sudan President Salva Kiir also fired the governor of the central bank and the head of the revenue authority, deepening political uncertainty and reigniting tensions in Juba, the capital.
- Slow implementation of the 2018 peace agreement and postponed elections in 2022 and 2024 have left the peace process fragile, while United Nations peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix warned Tuesday that the crisis is reaching a `breaking point`.
29 Articles
29 Articles
South Sudan: Bol Mel Speaks Out After Kiir Strips Him of Vice Presidency
South Sudan's Dr Benjamin Bol Mel has broken his silence a day after being dismissed from the office of Vice President by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, choosing a tone of calm gratitude rather than confrontation.
In South Sudan, it is an earthquake that has shaken the political world since 12 November, with the dismissal of Vice-President Benjamin Bol Mel. The latter was indeed approached as the successor of choice of President Salva Kiir, and had experienced a rise just as fulgurant as controversial in recent months. Apparently destined to occupy the supreme office, he was finally removed from office abruptly Wednesday evening. Benjamin Bol Mel was also…
South Sudan president fires Vice President Bol Mel, strips him of rank of general
South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Wednesday dismissed Benjamin Bol Mel as vice president and deputy leader of the ruling party, state television said, unexpectedly cutting ties with a man widely rumoured to be Kiir's own preferred successor.
South Sudan president sacks powerful vice president Bol Mel
JUBA - South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Wednesday dismissed Benjamin Bol Mel as vice president and deputy leader of the ruling party, according to a decree read on state television, cutting ties with a man widely rumoured to be Kiir's own preferred successor. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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