The reshuffle comes as South Sudan grapples with a battered economy and a challenging investment climate, raising questions about whether the new appointees can steer the country toward stability.
South Sudan’s economy has been on shaky ground for years, battered by a combination of internal strife and external shocks. The 2013-2018 civil war gutted the nation’s oil production, its economic lifeline, leaving government coffers depleted.
More recently, conflict in neighboring Sudan has disrupted crude oil exports, further squeezing revenue. The International Monetary Fund projects inflation at a staggering 54.8% for 2025, while the South Sudanese Pound has plummeted, losing about a third of its value against the dollar in recent months.
Dongrin, who took the finance portfolio in July 2024, faced these daunting challenges during his brief tenure. His appointment followed a string of short-lived finance ministers—six since 2020—reflecting the instability in the role.
Dongrin, a former deputy commissioner general of the National Revenue Authority, aimed to stabilize the economy through measures like consolidating government bank accounts and boosting non-oil revenue. However, his tenure was too short to yield significant results, and no official reason was given for his dismissal.
Similarly, Mathok’s time as Investment Minister was brief. Appointed to attract foreign capital and diversify the economy in 2022, Mathok operated in an environment where investor confidence is shaky at best. Communal violence, weak infrastructure, and political uncertainty have deterred investment, leaving South Sudan heavily reliant on oil. Mathok’s efforts to create a more welcoming investment climate were hamstrung by these systemic issues, and like Dongrin, he was let go without explanation.
Athian, the incoming Finance Minister, is no stranger to the role. He served as Finance Minister from September 2020 to November 2021, a period marked by similar economic turmoil. During his previous stint, Athian grappled with unpaid public sector salaries and a cash-strapped government unable to meet basic obligations. While he pushed for fiscal reforms, the economy remained fragile, and his departure in 2021 followed the same pattern of abrupt cabinet changes.
There is little hope that Athian’s return will bring meaningful change, given an economic environment more challenging than the one he previously struggled to realign.
Joseph Mum Majak, the new Investment Minister, also brings prior experience. He briefly served as Trade Minister until his dismissal in March 2025, a role in which he worked to boost trade amid the same economic constraints.
His short tenure offered little time to make a lasting impact, but colleagues describe him as pragmatic and focused on practical solutions. Still, the investment climate remains a tough nut to crack. “Investors need stability and clear policies, which South Sudan lacks,” said Abraham Kuol Nyuon, a political science professor at the University of Juba. “Majak’s challenge will be convincing the world that South Sudan is worth the risk.”
Kiir’s latest reshuffle fits a pattern of frequent cabinet shake-ups, often seen as a way to consolidate power or manage political alliances. The Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU), formed under the 2018 peace agreement, requires delicate power-sharing between Kiir’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and opposition groups led by First Vice President Riek Machar.
