South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has removed the governor of Upper Nile State following a surge in clashes between government forces and a local ethnic militia reportedly aligned with his political rival, First Vice President Riek Machar.
The dismissal, announced in a presidential decree aired on state television late Wednesday, comes amid growing fears of renewed conflict in a region that has seen a sharp uptick in violence in recent weeks. Governor James Odhok Oyay, a member of Machar’s SPLM-IO party, was replaced by Lieutenant General James Koang Chuol, a native of the strategic town of Nasir, near the Ethiopian border.
Fighting in and around Nasir—where government forces were recently pushed back by the White Army militia—has displaced more than 50,000 people since late February, according to the United Nations. The violence, UN officials warn, risks dragging the world’s youngest nation back into large-scale conflict just seven years after the end of its bloody civil war.
Deepening Political Rift
The White Army, a militia made up primarily of armed Nuer youth, has long been linked to Machar’s faction. Government officials accuse SPLM-IO of supporting the group’s activities in the region—claims the party strongly denies.
President Kiir’s administration escalated tensions earlier this month by arresting key SPLM-IO figures, including the petroleum minister and the deputy chief of the national army. The arrests triggered a partial withdrawal by Machar’s party from the 2018 peace deal that ended South Sudan’s five-year civil war.
Machar’s spokesperson, Puok Both Baluang, denounced the governor’s removal as a “unilateral move” and a “serious breach” of the Revitalised Peace Agreement, warning it could jeopardize fragile political stability.
In response, South Sudan’s Information Minister Michael Makuei defended the president’s actions, telling Reuters that the dismissal was necessary to restore calm in Upper Nile State. “Governor Oyay was removed to bring peace to the region,” he said.
Renewed Instability Looms
Observers warn that the dispute between Kiir and Machar—rooted in longstanding ethnic and political rivalries—could unravel the fragile 2018 accord, which brought the two leaders into a shaky power-sharing arrangement.
With armed clashes intensifying and political trust eroding, the international community has expressed concern that South Sudan may be edging closer to another cycle of civil war. Humanitarian agencies report worsening conditions on the ground, with civilians caught in the crossfire and aid access increasingly restricted.
The stakes are high for a country still recovering from years of conflict that left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced. As the political standoff deepens, calls are growing for renewed diplomatic efforts to prevent another national crisis.
