South Sudan’s leader sacks aides after dead man appointed

South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir, has dismissed two senior aides after a major administrative error in which a dead man was appointed to an official panel to prepare the country for elections scheduled for December.
‎
‎The mistake came to light after a presidential order dated January 30 named Steward Soroba Budia as a member of a committee tasked with leading discussions on the upcoming elections. However, local media reports revealed that Budia, a member of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), died about five years ago.
‎
‎The incident triggered widespread ridicule on social media, forcing the presidency to act.
‎
‎In a statement issued without detailed explanation, President Kiir removed his press secretary, David Amour Major, and the Chief Administrator at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Valentino Dhel Maluet, from their positions.
‎
‎The statement, signed by the Minister of Presidential Affairs, Africano Mande Gedima, said the president was “pleased” to announce their dismissal and expressed his “profound gratitude” to them for their service. The statement was published on President Kiir’s official Facebook page.
‎
‎Earlier, on Monday, Mr Amour had issued a press release explaining that the president’s office relied on names submitted by various stakeholders for the panel. He admitted that proper checks were not carried out.
‎
‎“It is now evident that a thorough verification was not done by one of the stakeholders, which resulted in this unfortunate administrative oversight,” he said. He did not name the stakeholder involved. The UDP has also not commented on the matter.
‎
‎It remains unclear whether Mr Amour’s statement directly led to his dismissal, though there had been earlier speculation that he could be removed.
‎
‎The election panel was formed to help pave the way for long-delayed national elections. Budia, before his death, was one of the signatories to the 2018 peace agreement that ended years of conflict following South Sudan’s independence in 2011.
‎
‎Despite the formation of the panel, doubts remain over whether the December elections will go ahead. The country continues to face insecurity, and previous elections have been postponed several times, leaving President Kiir in office since independence.
‎
‎According to the United Nations, more than 180,000 people have been displaced by recent fighting, particularly in Jonglei State, where government forces are battling groups linked to suspended Vice-President Riek Machar.
‎
‎Mr Machar is currently under house arrest and standing trial on charges including murder, treason and crimes against humanity. He has denied all charges.
‎
‎President Kiir and Mr Machar are both expected to be part of a unity government agreed under the 2018 peace deal, which followed a five-year civil war triggered by a power struggle between the two leaders.
‎
‎Source: BBC.