South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has dismissed two senior aides following an embarrassing administrative blunder in which a deceased opposition figure was appointed to a national panel tasked with leading talks on elections scheduled for December.
The controversy erupted after a presidential order dated January 30 listed Steward Soroba Budia, a member of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), as a member of the elections dialogue panel. Local media later revealed that Budia had died five years ago, sparking ridicule and criticism on social media.
In a brief statement posted on President Kiir’s official Facebook page, the presidency announced the dismissal of Press Secretary David Amour Major and Valentino Dhel Maluet, the chief administrator in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs. No reasons were given for the decision.
“The President was pleased to announce that the two officials have been relieved of their duties,” the statement said, adding that Kiir expressed his “profound gratitude” for their service. The announcement was signed by Minister of Presidential Affairs Africano Mande Gedima.
Earlier on Monday, Amour had issued a press statement distancing the presidency from the error, saying the president’s office relied on the “accuracy and currency” of names submitted by stakeholders for inclusion on the panel.
“It is now evident that a thorough verification was not done by one of the stakeholders, which resulted in this unfortunate administrative oversight,” Amour said, without identifying the source of the nomination. The UDP has not commented on the matter.
It remains unclear whether Amour’s statement directly led to his dismissal, though speculation about his fate had been mounting even before it was issued.
Budia was a signatory to the 2018 peace agreement that ended five years of civil war following South Sudan’s independence in 2011. The newly formed panel is meant to prepare the ground for long-delayed national elections.
However, doubts persist over whether the December polls will take place, as fighting continues in parts of the country. Elections have been postponed multiple times, with Kiir remaining in power since independence.
According to the United Nations, more than 180,000 people have recently been displaced by renewed violence, particularly in Jonglei state, where government forces are battling fighters aligned to suspended Vice-President Riek Machar.
Machar, who is under house arrest and facing charges including murder, treason and crimes against humanity, denies the accusations. He and Kiir are supposed to jointly lead a unity government under the 2018 peace deal that followed years of conflict rooted in their power struggle.
