South Sudan replaces foreign minister with deputy after dispute with US

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed Foreign Minister Ramadan Mohamed and appointed his deputy, Monday Simaya Kumba, as the new minister, according to state media reports.

The announcement, made on state radio late Wednesday, did not provide a reason for the minister's removal.

The development comes in the wake of a diplomatic dispute with the United States.

Washington had criticized Juba for refusing entry to a Congolese national deported from the U.S., prompting the Trump administration to threaten the cancellation of all U.S. visas held by South Sudanese citizens.

South Sudan conceded to Washington's demands on Tuesday, permitting the man to enter the country.

A splinter group within South Sudan’s main opposition party, the SPLM-IO, announced on Wednesday that it had appointed Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol as interim leader in place of First Vice President Riek Machar, who remains under house arrest.

The decision, which has drawn criticism from other SPLM-IO members, could open the door for President Salva Kiir to remove his longtime political adversary, Machar, and strengthen his grip on the unity government by installing Kuol, analysts suggest.

"President Kiir would likely prefer leaders who align with his views, as this could help reinforce the government’s legitimacy," noted Kuol Abraham Nyuon, a political science professor at the University of Juba.

Machar, who has shared power with Kiir under a 2018 peace agreement that ended a brutal civil war between their factions, was placed under house arrest last month over allegations that he was inciting rebellion.

Machar’s political group has rejected recent claims by the government that it is supporting the White Army, an ethnic militia involved in violent confrontations with government forces in Nasir, a northeastern town, last month.

The clashes have reignited political tensions in the country.

Last week, African Union mediators arrived in the capital, Juba, in an attempt to salvage the fragile peace agreement. However, their efforts have so far shown little sign of producing immediate results.

On Thursday, several foreign missions in Juba — including those of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, the US, and the European Union — jointly renewed their appeal for the unconditional release of all political prisoners.

"South Sudan’s leadership must urgently fulfill its commitments and prioritize peace," the embassies emphasized in their collective statement.

The SPLM-IO stated that the detention of Machar had fundamentally undermined the peace agreement that had brought an end to a brutal five-year civil conflict, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

Nonetheless, the party later affirmed its continued commitment to the deal.

According to SPLM-IO military spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel, the group’s armed wing remains loyal to Machar and does not align with what he described as "the betrayers in Juba."

Political observers believe that President Kiir, now 73, may be attempting to consolidate his grip on power amid growing unease within his inner circle and ongoing speculation about his plans for succession.