President Salva Kiir dismissed Interior Minister Angelina Teny, the wife of detained opposition leader Riek Machar, Monday evening. No official reason was given for Teny’s removal, but critics say the move threatens the fragile unity government established after five years of civil war.
Kiir appointed Aleu Ayieny Aleu as her replacement, a veteran loyalist who previously held the Interior Ministry from 2013 to 2015. The 2018 peace agreement allocated the Interior Ministry to the opposition under a delicate power-sharing framework, now further weakened by this decision.
Opposition figures accused Kiir of undermining the peace deal, signalling growing tensions between the government and Machar’s supporters nationwide. Machar remains detained on treason charges related to violence in Nasir, Upper Nile state, alongside several close associates, heightening political uncertainty.
Forces loyal to Machar, with White Army allies, recently captured Pajut in Duk County, a strategic town on the road to Bor. The government has deployed reinforcements to secure Bor, fearing the advance could escalate into a broader offensive across Jonglei state.
Clashes have also erupted in Unity, Upper Nile, and parts of Central and Eastern Equatoria states, alarming regional and international observers. Key provisions of the 2018 peace agreement, including security sector reforms and unification of forces, remain largely unimplemented, deepening instability.
Teny had led the Interior Ministry since March 2023, after being moved from the defense portfolio, when Kiir took over the defense ministry himself. She has been mostly absent from the ministry since Machar’s house arrest in March 2025, with her communications reportedly confiscated by security agents.
Pal Mai Deng, opposition spokesperson, described Teny’s firing as “a clear sign of desperation,” reflecting a government crumbling under increasing pressure. Analysts warn that escalating clashes, political detentions, and weakened agreements could spark renewed civil conflict, threatening South Sudan’s hard-won peace.
