South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit has dismissed Vice-President Josephine Lagu Yanga in a reshuffle of the transitional government, reappointing Hussein Abdelbagi Akol to the position.
The decision was announced in a presidential decree broadcast Thursday evening by the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation. No official reason was provided for Lagu’s removal.
Under the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement, the president has the authority to appoint and dismiss officials, but can only remove those from other political parties with the consent of their party leadership.
It remains unclear whether Josephine Lagu’s SSOA faction endorsed or was consulted on the dismissal, as the coalition has not yet issued a public statement.
Lagu, chairperson of one faction of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) — a signatory to the 2018 agreement — was elevated to vice-president in February 2025.
The service cluster vice-presidency is allocated to SSOA under the power-sharing deal.
Abdelbagi, who leads another faction of the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) and hails from Northern Bahr el Ghazal, now returns to the vice-presidency after being demoted to Minister of Agriculture in the same February 2025 decree.
Widely regarded as a close ally of President Kiir despite his opposition roots, he will oversee the service cluster.
The reshuffle occurs amid heightened political friction.
First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, the most senior vice-president under the 2018 agreement, remains under house arrest and on trial for treason since September 2025.
International and regional peace monitors have repeatedly warned that unilateral decisions by the ruling SPLM are weakening implementation of the peace deal.
Concerns are growing over succession for the 74-year-old Kiir and the risk of renewed conflict as the transitional period drags on.
In a separate decree, President Kiir established an Inter-Party High-Level Steering Body to manage political dialogue on the roadmap to national elections.
The body is grounded in Article 106A (2C) of the Transitional Constitution of 2011 and Republican Order No. 1 of 2026.
Its mandate includes organising the official launch of the political dialogue process, overseeing inter-party consensus on the electoral timeline, reviewing technical and legal frameworks, providing regular progress reports, and ensuring stakeholder inclusivity.
The committee comprises:
- Chairperson: Tut Gatluak Manime (SPLM)
- Co-Chairperson: Stephen Par Kuol (SPLM-IO faction)
- Deputy Co-Chair: Dr Akol Paul Kordit (SPLM)
- Rapporteur: Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro (National Agenda)
- Deputy Rapporteurs: Africano Mande Gedima (SPLM), Albino Akol Atak (OPP), Denay Jock Chagor (SSOA), Nunu Roda Rudolf (SPLM-IO), Julius Tabuley Daniel (NAS)