Juba. President Salva Kiir has dismissed the speaker and deputy speaker of South Sudan’s parliament, in the latest political shake-up in the country, according to a decree read out in parliament on Tuesday.
The decree, announced before lawmakers, removed Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba and her deputy Permena Awerial Aluong from their positions in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Reuters reported.
The move follows mounting pressure within the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), where members of the party’s caucus had reportedly petitioned for Kumba’s removal, accusing her of corruption linked to the alleged mismanagement of parliamentary funds.
Kumba, who in 2021 became the first woman to serve as speaker of South Sudan’s parliament, had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of the announcement.
President Kiir has since appointed Joseph Ngere Paciko as the new speaker, with Abuk Paiti Ayiik named as deputy speaker, signalling a swift restructuring of parliamentary leadership.
The dismissals come amid a pattern of abrupt leadership changes by Kiir, who has in recent months reshuffled senior government officials without publicly providing reasons, reflecting ongoing political tensions in the world’s youngest nation.
South Sudan has faced persistent instability since gaining independence in 2011, with delays in implementing peace agreements and preparing for elections continuing to fuel uncertainty over the country’s political future.
