South Sudan President Salva Kiir has dismissed Finance Minister Bak Barnaba Chol just three months after appointing him, according to a decree broadcast on state television late Monday.
Chol had taken office in November, replacing Athian Diing Athian, who himself was removed only two months into the role, underscoring persistent instability in the country’s economic leadership.
Kiir named Salvatore Garang, an economist trained at Sudan’s University of Khartoum, as the new finance minister. Garang previously held the post from 2018 to 2020, a period marked by attempts at economic reform amid severe fiscal pressure.
During his earlier tenure, local media reported corruption allegations against Garang, including claims that he authorised $100,000 in public funds to cover the cost of his son’s funeral. Garang has not publicly responded to the allegations.
The presidential decree also removed several other senior officials, including the commissioner general of the National Revenue Authority, as part of a broader reshuffle.
Analysts say Kiir frequently rotates senior military and civilian officials as a means of consolidating power, while the country continues to face armed conflict and uncertainty over the president’s eventual succession.
No official reason was given for the dismissal, which marks the ninth change of South Sudan’s finance minister since 2020.
