South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit
Wednesday, 23 September 2026 | Author-Akech Bek Lom | Edited by-Joseph Oduha |Juba, South Sudan |
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dissolved the country’s transitional government and dismissed all five vice-presidents, including his long-time rival Riek Machar.
The changes were announced in a presidential decree read out on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC).
Mr Kiir later issued a separate decree appointing a caretaker government, retaining some officials from the previous administration.
Members of the caretaker government have been instructed not to contest the country’s forthcoming general elections, according to the decree.
The move comes as South Sudan prepares for elections intended to end the country’s prolonged transitional period.
Mr Kiir is the presidential candidate of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
The elections have faced criticism from opposition politicians and international actors, who have raised concerns about political tensions, restrictions on political activity and delays in implementing the 2018 peace agreement.
Machar’s removal
Mr Machar, who served as First Vice-President, has been detained by the government and accused of involvement in the deadly violence in Nasir, in Upper Nile State.
The authorities have accused him of orchestrating the fighting, allegations that his political camp has rejected.
The clashes caused significant casualties among government forces, including senior army officers.
Mr Machar has been President Kiir’s main political rival for more than a decade.
Their rivalry was at the centre of the civil war that broke out in December 2013, only two years after South Sudan gained independence.
The conflict killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.
A peace agreement signed in 2018 brought Mr Kiir and Mr Machar together in a power-sharing government, but implementation of the deal has repeatedly been delayed.
Mr Machar returned to Juba in 2020 to serve as First Vice-President under the transitional government.
Elections delayed for years
South Sudan’s elections have been postponed several times since independence, largely because of disagreements over the implementation of the peace agreement and preparations for the vote.
The government has said the elections are necessary to end the transitional period and establish a permanent political system.
However, opposition groups have questioned whether the conditions for a credible and inclusive election have been created.
The latest changes are therefore likely to intensify scrutiny of the political transition and the government’s preparations for the polls.
The caretaker government’s immediate task will be to oversee state affairs while the country moves towards the elections.
The developments also leave questions over the future of Mr Machar’s political movement and the implementation of the peace agreement that brought the two rival leaders back into government.
