South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed two senior aides after an embarrassing incident in which a deceased man was appointed to a panel tasked with leading discussions on elections scheduled for December.
The appointment of Steward Soroba Budia was announced in a presidential order dated January 30. However, local media quickly pointed out that Budia, a member of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), had died five years earlier. The mistake sparked widespread mockery on social media.
In an official statement issued without explanation, the presidency announced the dismissal of press secretary David Amour Major and Valentino Dhel Maluet, the chief administrator in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs.
The statement said the president was “pleased” to announce that both officials had been relieved of their duties and expressed his “profound gratitude” to them for their service. The notice was signed by Minister of Presidential Affairs Africano Mande Gedima and shared on the president’s official Facebook page.
Earlier on Monday, Amour said in a press release that the president’s office had relied entirely on the “accuracy and currency” of names submitted by stakeholders for inclusion on the panel.
“It is now evident that a thorough verification was not done by one of the stakeholders, which resulted in this unfortunate administrative oversight,” Amour said, without naming the party responsible. The UDP has not commented.
It remains unclear whether Amour’s statement directly led to his dismissal, though there had been speculation beforehand that he would be removed from his position.
Budia had been a signatory to the 2018 peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict that erupted after South Sudan gained independence in 2011.
President Kiir established the panel, made up of representatives from various political parties, to prepare the ground for the planned elections. However, there are growing doubts over whether the vote will take place, as the country continues to experience violence.
Previous elections have been postponed, leaving Kiir in office since independence.
The United Nations says more than 180,000 people have been forced to flee their homes due to recent fighting, with Jonglei state experiencing the most severe clashes. The army has been battling forces aligned with suspended Vice-President Riek Machar.
Machar is currently under house arrest and facing trial on charges including murder, treason and crimes against humanity, which he denies.
Kiir and Machar are meant to serve together in a unity government formed under the 2018 peace deal that ended a five-year civil war sparked by a power struggle between the two leaders.
