Kiir sacks immigration chief, first deputy governor of central bank in latest reshuffle

JUBA – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed the head of the country’s immigration authority and the first deputy governor of the central bank, among other senior officials, in a new wave of leadership changes.

In a decree read on state television Thursday night, Kiir removed Major General Simon Majur Pabek as director general of civil registry, nationality, passports, and immigration. He appointed Major General Elia Costa as his replacement.

Costa previously served as police commissioner of Lakes State and, before that, of Jonglei State.

Kiir also dismissed Yeni Samuel Costa as the first deputy governor of the Bank of South Sudan, reinstating Addis Ababa Othow to the position. Othow previously served in the role from August 2022 until he was sacked in October 2023 alongside then-governor Johnny Ohisa Damian.

With Ohisa’s return as governor in December 2024, Othow now rejoins him at the central bank. He also chairs the board of directors of the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority.

In another key change, Kiir removed Cosmos Pitia as undersecretary in the Ministry of Mining and appointed Santino Matiok in his place. Matiok was briefly named chief administrator in the Office of the President in October 2024, but his appointment was revoked just three days later before he could assume office.

His new role comes as South Sudan seeks to regulate its largely unmonitored mining sector, where gold and other minerals are frequently smuggled abroad.

The president also appointed Nyuol Justin Yac as chairperson of the South Sudan Human Rights Commission, with Ezekiel Elsendi Gibson as his deputy. Nyuol previously held the same position.

Kiir’s latest appointments and dismissals follow a series of high-profile reshuffles in recent months, particularly in the security sectors, as his administration grapples with economic challenges and governance reforms.

While the government frames these moves as efforts to improve efficiency, critics argue that frequent changes in key institutions risk undermining stability and continuity.