By Yiep Joseph
President Salva Kiir Mayardit has sacked the Vice President and the chair of the economic cluster, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel.
Dr. Bol was sacked on Wednesday with other officials, such as Dr. Addis Ababa Othow, the governor of the Bank of South Sudan, and Simon Akuei Deng, the commissioner for the South Sudan Revenue Authority (SSRA).
The decrees, which were read out on the state-owned television, SSBC, surprisingly follow the social media rumours of expected changes in government.
As per the decree, the head of state relieved Dr. Bol Mel, from the VP position and no replacement has been appointed.
Kiir also demoted Dr. Bol from military from general to private and subsequently dismissed him from national security services.
The head of state, who also doubles as the chairperson of the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) removed Dr. Bol from the position of the first deputy chairperson of the party, the second-highest post in the party.
In separate decrees, President Kiir relieved Paul Lugale of the secretary general of the SPLM and replaced him with Akol Paul Kordit.
Although the reasons for the sacking were not mentioned in the president’s decrees, there were allegations on Wednesday morning that security forces were withdrew from Dr. Bol’s house in Jebel.
This was followed by subsequent rumours of house arrest, a move that prompted his office to reply with a statement addressed to the media refuting the said house arrest.
Just a few hours before his removal, the office posted his meeting with the Somalia Ambassador in South Sudan.
Such a report followed a statement that the VP president was not under house arrest but was busy with his daily office activities.
Dr. Bol was appointed as vice president and head of the government’s economic cluster in February, replacing Dr. James Wani Igga.
In May, he was also named First Deputy Chairman of the SPLM, further consolidating his position in the country’s leadership.
In September, President Kiir promoted him to the rank of full general within the National Security Service.