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.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed what he called a “great victory” for the nation’s armed forces on Wednesday, following what officials described as a major air incursion attempt by the Indian Air Force.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has said that Iran is intending to develop its ties with neighboring Azerbaijan beyond bilateral relations by tapping the capacity of regional collaboration.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia’s territorial integrity cannot be separated from that of its neighbours, responding to accusations over the 2020 war made by former presidents Kocharyan and Sargsyan.
Pakistan has reportedly downed an Indian Rafale fighter jet, along with other Indian military aircraft, using Chinese-made PL-15 missiles. The incident occurred amid rising tensions between the two nations, marking a notable development in the ongoing conflict.
Azerbaijan and Vietnam formalized a strategic partnership as President Ilham Aliyev and Communist Party leader To Lam signed key agreements in Baku.
A Rafale fighter jet operated by the Indian Air Force has reportedly been shot down for the first time in combat, according to sources cited by CNN, marking a significant and symbolic development in the ongoing escalation between India and Pakistan.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed what he called a “great victory” for the nation’s armed forces on Wednesday, following what officials described as a major air incursion attempt by the Indian Air Force.
Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday night, indicating that the first round of voting in the papal conclave has not produced a new pope.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has said that Iran is intending to develop its ties with neighboring Azerbaijan beyond bilateral relations by tapping the capacity of regional collaboration.
During a joint press statement with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam outlined a five-point plan to implement the agreements reflected in the Joint Statement signed today.
India has fired a series of missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory, in what it has described as “Operation Sindoor”
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New Tesla registrations in Denmark collapsed 67 % in April to 180 vehicles, industry data showed Thursday, underscoring a sharp demand drop for the EV maker in one of its once-strong European markets.
Chinese e-commerce platform Temu has announced it will no longer sell goods directly from China to U.S. customers, shifting instead to U.S.-based sellers amid the closure of a long-criticized customs loophole.
The European Union is expected to announce new tariff counter-measures on Thursday targeting U.S. aerospace exports, including Boeing jets, in response to escalating trade tensions with Washington.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Wednesday for a closely watched visit that underscores Beijing’s growing strategic alignment with Russia.
As part of his official visit to Iraq, Azerbaijani FM Jeyhun Bayramov met on Wednesday with Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, Speaker of the Council of Representatives of Iraq, for wide-ranging discussions on bilateral relations, regional security, and post-conflict development efforts in Azerbaijan.
The United States has quietly approved a Qatari initiative to finance salaries for Syrian public-sector workers, marking a significant shift in Western engagement with post-Assad Syria, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for an immediate end to the escalating hostilities between India and Pakistan, saying he “hopes they can stop now” after a series of deadly cross‑border strikes.
A Rafale fighter jet operated by the Indian Air Force has reportedly been shot down for the first time in combat, according to sources cited by CNN, marking a significant and symbolic development in the ongoing escalation between India and Pakistan.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed what he called a “great victory” for the nation’s armed forces on Wednesday, following what officials described as a major air incursion attempt by the Indian Air Force.
Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday night, indicating that the first round of voting in the papal conclave has not produced a new pope.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has said that Iran is intending to develop its ties with neighboring Azerbaijan beyond bilateral relations by tapping the capacity of regional collaboration.
During a joint press statement with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam outlined a five-point plan to implement the agreements reflected in the Joint Statement signed today.
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