South Sudan President Dismisses Army Chief Amid Ongoing Security Concerns

In a significant development, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has dismissed Army Chief General Paul Nang Majok after just seven months in office, state radio announced late Monday. The government did not provide an official explanation for the sudden change in military leadership.

General Majok, who was appointed in December, has been replaced by General Dau Aturjong as the new Chief of Defence Forces. Majok’s tenure coincided with intensified clashes between government forces and the White Army—an ethnic Nuer militia comprised largely of armed youth—which has fueled renewed political instability in parts of the country.

Army spokesperson Major General Lul Ruai Koang characterized the leadership reshuffle as routine, stating, “There has been a tradition that when you are appointed or reassigned, there are no reasons given for either appointment or removal. It is normal.”

Though South Sudan officially remains at peace following a landmark 2018 agreement that ended a devastating five-year civil war, intercommunal violence and militia activity continue to threaten stability, particularly in rural and contested regions.

Tensions further escalated in March when First Vice President Riek Machar was placed under house arrest. Government officials accused Machar of inciting rebellion in an effort to derail upcoming national elections. Information Minister Michael Makuei claimed Machar had been “agitating his supporters to rebel against the government with the aim of disrupting peace so that elections are not held and South Sudan goes back to war.” Machar’s party has strongly denied these allegations.

The White Army, which has long been associated with Machar’s ethnic base, engaged in fierce battles with government forces in the northeastern town of Nasir earlier this year. In May, the South Sudanese military claimed to have recaptured the town from militia control.

The appointment of General Dau Aturjong, a seasoned military figure, comes at a critical juncture as the government seeks to contain internal unrest and maintain the fragile peace ahead of proposed national elections.