South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has dismissed Foreign Minister Ramadan Mohamed and replaced him with his deputy, following a diplomatic clash with the United States over a deportation case.
South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has replaced its foreign minister with his deputy, Monday Simaya Kumba, state media reported, following a migration dispute with the United States.
No explanation was given for the sacking of Foreign Minister Ramadan Mohamed, which was announced on the state radio station late on Wednesday.
The move follows a row with Washington over Juba's refusal to admit a Congolese man deported from the United States, which led to the Trump administration threatening to revoke all U.S. visas held by South Sudanese citizens.
South Sudan yielded to Washington's demands on Tuesday and allowed the man to enter the country.
Separately, a faction of South Sudan's main opposition party (SPLM-IO) said on Wednesday it had replaced its chairman, First Vice President Riek Machar, with an interim leader, Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol, until Machar was released from house arrest.
The move, which was criticised by other members of the party, could allow Kiir to sack longstanding rival Machar and consolidate his power over the government by appointing Kuol, analysts said.
"President Kiir (would) want people who would agree with him ... so that now the government's legitimacy will be created," said Kuol Abraham Nyuon, professor of political science at the University of Juba.
Machar, who has served in a power-sharing administration with Kiir since a 2018 peace deal ended a civil war between fighters loyal to the two men, was accused of trying to stir up rebellion and detained at his home last month.
Machar's party denies government accusations that it backs the White Army, an ethnic militia which clashed with the army in the northeastern town of Nasir last month, triggering the latest political crisis.
African Union mediators arrived in Juba last week to try and rescue the peace deal, but did not appear to have made any immediate progress.
On Thursday, embassies based in Juba, including France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, United States, the European Union, reiterated their call for the immediate release of all political detainees.
"It is urgent that South Sudan’s leaders meet their obligations and demonstrate that their priority is peace," they said in a joint statement.
The SPLM-IO said Machar's detention had effectively voided the agreement that ended the five-year civil war in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed. The party later said they were committed to upholding the deal.
The SPLM-IO's military wing remained loyal to Machar, and was "not part and parcel of the betrayers in Juba", its spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel said in a statement on Wednesday.
Analysts say Kiir, 73, appears to be trying to shore up his position amid discontent within his own political camp and speculation about his succession plan.
China imposed sanctions on Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya on Monday, who is a close aide of Japanese ...
Europe's aviation sector hit - and may well have surpassed - a 2% mandate for green jet fuel use in 2025, a...
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said a peacekeeper was killed when a projectile exp...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he talked about a possible security partnership on Sunday wit...
President Donald Trump said the U.S. and Iran have been meeting "directly and indirectly" and that Ir...
China imposed sanctions on Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya on Monday, who is a close aide of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, due to his "collusion with Taiwan independence" forces, in its latest move in a diplomatic row over Taiwan.
Europe's aviation sector hit - and may well have surpassed - a 2% mandate for green jet fuel use in 2025, a regulatory official and a source told Reuters, bolstering airlines' green credentials as the region seeks to cut reliance on hydrocarbons.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said a peacekeeper was killed when a projectile exploded at one of its positions near the southern Lebanese village of Adchit al-Qusayr on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he talked about a possible security partnership on Sunday with Jordan's King Abdullah over defending against drone attacks amid rising tensions over the Iran conflict.
Cuba and the United States have been at odds for more than six decades, with tensions rooted in the 1959 revolution that transformed the island’s political and economic system. Renewed focus on relations comes as Donald Trump’s rhetoric intensifies and conditions on the island worsen.
The four astronauts selected for NASA’s Artemis II mission have arrived in Florida, entering the final phase of preparations for the first crewed journey towards the Moon in more than five decades
Iranian Military Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ibrahim Zulfiqari has warned that American soldiers will become 'food for sharks' if U.S. President Donald Trump launches ground attacks against Iran. The threat comes after the U.S. military said it was deploying thousands of Marines to the region.
NASA is aiming to launch its Artemis 2 mission on Wednesday (1 April), sending astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, officials confirmed. According to the Space Administration, the launch window is due to open at 23:24 GMT, with additional opportunities to 6 April if delays occur.
Russian drone attacks on Ukraine have killed four people, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday (28 March).
China imposed sanctions on Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya on Monday, who is a close aide of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, due to his "collusion with Taiwan independence" forces, in its latest move in a diplomatic row over Taiwan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he talked about a possible security partnership on Sunday with Jordan's King Abdullah over defending against drone attacks amid rising tensions over the Iran conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he had "no problem" with any country sending crude to Cuba as a Russian tanker neared a Cuban port with a badly needed shipment, signalling he was reversing course on blocking oil shipments to the country on Sunday.
Cuba and the United States have been at odds for more than six decades, with tensions rooted in the 1959 revolution that transformed the island’s political and economic system. Renewed focus on relations comes as Donald Trump’s rhetoric intensifies and conditions on the island worsen.
Russian drone attacks on Ukraine have killed four people, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday (28 March).
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment