South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has dismissed Foreign Minister Ramadan Mohamed, appointing Deputy Minister Monday Simaya Kumba in his place, state radio announced Wednesday. The reshuffle follows a diplomatic spat with the United States over Juba’s initial refusal to accept a deportee, which prompted Washington to threaten visa sanctions on South Sudanese nationals.
Juba relented this week, allowing the man—originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo—to enter the country, defusing immediate tensions with the Trump administration.
No official reason was given for Mohamed’s removal.
In a separate political shake-up, a faction within the SPLM-IO opposition party announced that Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol would serve as interim leader in place of detained First Vice President Riek Machar, who was placed under house arrest last month. The move drew criticism from within the party and raised concerns that Kiir could be maneuvering to sideline his longtime rival and consolidate power.
“President Kiir likely wants figures who will align with him, allowing the government to project renewed legitimacy,” said Kuol Abraham Nyuon, a political scientist at the University of Juba.
Machar was arrested amid accusations of attempting to incite rebellion, following clashes in Nasir between government forces and the White Army militia, allegedly backed by SPLM-IO. The party denies those claims and insists it remains committed to the 2018 peace agreement that ended South Sudan’s brutal five-year civil war.
The SPLM-IO’s military wing continues to support Machar, distancing itself from the interim leadership in Juba.
On Thursday, Western embassies including the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany called for the immediate release of all political detainees, urging South Sudanese leaders to prioritize peace and fulfill their obligations under the peace deal.
The political crisis unfolds amid growing uncertainty over Kiir’s leadership and succession, as regional and international mediators scramble to keep the fragile peace accord from collapsing.
