Kiir dismisses Western Bahr el Ghazal governor, deputy finance minister

JUBA — South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit issued several decrees late Friday, dismissing three senior government officials, including Western Bahr el Ghazal State Governor Sarah Cleto and Deputy Finance Minister Agok Makur.

The presidential decrees were announced on state-own broadcaster, South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC).

Cleto will be succeeded by Emmanuel Primo Okello as governor, while Bech George Anyang has been appointed to replace Makur as deputy finance minister.

In a separate decree, Kiir also appointed Cleto as a member of the Transitional Council of States, representing the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO).

Both Cleto and Makur were initially appointed in 2020 under a power-sharing arrangement in the 2018 revitalized peace agreement. Their positions represented the SPLM-IO, led by First Vice President Riek Machar.

Okello, the new governor, currently serves as deputy chairperson of the SPLM-IO’s standing committee at the national secretariat.

Bech George, an economics lecturer at Upper Nile University, will take on his new finance role. He holds a master’s degree in economics from the United Kingdom and is the SPLM-IO’s deputy chairperson of the standing committee on training and research.

The SPLM-IO confirmed that the reshuffle was requested by Machar. Dut Majokdit, a member of the SPLM-IO’s National Liberation Council (NLC), told Sudans Post shortly after the decrees that Machar formally sought the changes in a letter to Kiir, though he did not specify when the request was made.

While Machar’s motivations remain undisclosed, the move follows a recent petition by youth groups in Western Bahr el Ghazal urging Cleto’s removal.

Majokdit praised the appointments, calling them “timely and appropriate.” He said Okello is “a capable young leader who can unite the people of Western Bahr el Ghazal,” and expressed confidence in Bech George’s ability to support financial reform efforts.

“Bech is well-qualified to help drive financial reforms in the country,” Majokdit added.

In an additional decree, Kiir removed Philip Thon from his post as undersecretary at the Ministry of Roads and Bridges, replacing him with John Kot Chol Deng.