Kiir dismisses long-time ally Tut Gatluak as security advisor

JUBA – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir on Friday night dismissed his long-time ally Tut Gatluak Manimeh from his role as presidential security advisor and reassigned him to a diplomatic post, according to a decree broadcast on state television.

The announcement, aired on the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), did not provide a reason for the dismissal, citing only Kiir’s constitutional authority under the 2011 transitional constitution, as amended.

Gatluak, who has held the influential position of security advisor since 2013, will now serve as South Sudan’s presidential envoy to the Middle East.

Kiir then appointed Gen. Thoi Chany Raet, the Deputy Chief of Defense Forces for Administration and Finance of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), as the new security advisor.

The move signals another shift in the president’s security apparatus after sacking his long-time ally, Gen. Akol Koor Kuc, from his 13-year-old position as head of the Internal Security Bureau (ISB) of the notorious National Security Service (NSS).

Gatluak, who was not part of the SPLA during the 1983-2005 civil war, is largely perceived in the world’s youngest country as a close friend of Gen. Akol.

He has been embroiled in multiple allegations of corruption. Critics accuse him of embezzling funds earmarked for the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement signed in September 2018 to end South Sudan’s civil war.

He has also faced allegations of diverting oil revenues intended for communities in Unity State by engaging in opaque business deals with foreign, particularly Gulf-based, companies.

The outgoing presidential advisor, Gatluak, was implicated in orchestrating the killing of opposition commanders in August 2022, allegedly in retaliation for the assassination of his brother, Mayom County Commissioner Chuol Gatluak Manimeh, during an attack on the county headquarters.

In a separate decree, Kiir also removed Gatwech Peter Kulang as head of the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC), appointing Stephen Kueth as his replacement.

No reasons were given for this change.