President Salva Kiir has removed Simon Uber Mawut from his position as governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.

The dismissal was announced on Thursday evening via a presidential decree broadcast on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC). Charles Dut Akol has been appointed as his replacement. No explanation was provided for the change.

Uber had assumed the governorship in July 2024, succeeding Tong Aken Ngor. During his tenure, he faced criticism from local civil society groups over allegations of arbitrary arrests, poor governance, and inadequate efforts to combat corruption. Some activists and politicians also accused security forces under his authority of detaining critics, including civil servants and anti-corruption officials, without following due process. Calls for his removal had grown louder, with critics claiming his leadership hampered development in the state.

Charles Dut Akol, the new governor, is a senior military figure known for holding high-ranking army positions and participating in peace processes and joint military committees.

President Kiir has a history of reshuffling senior officials, frequently appointing and dismissing governors, ministers, and other high-ranking officeholders, sometimes after only brief periods in office.

South Sudan has not conducted a national election since gaining independence in 2011, with elections repeatedly postponed. The country’s first post-independence national polls are now scheduled for December 2026.