JUBA, South Sudan — President Salva Kiir Mayardit has dismissed his powerful Vice President Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel, just eight months after his appointment, in one of the most dramatic political purges in South Sudan’s recent history.
A presidential decree issued late Wednesday night announced Dr. Mel’s removal from the vice presidency, his expulsion from the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), and his demotion from General to Private in the National Security Service (NSS).
“Pursuant to the provisions of Section 51(4) of the National Security Service Act, 2014 (as amended), I, Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan and Supreme Commander of All Regular Forces, do hereby demote Gen. Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel to the rank of Private, and he is hereby dismissed from the National Security Service,” the decree read on the state broadcaster.
The sweeping changes also saw the dismissal of several of Mel’s close allies, including Addis Ababa Othow, who was removed as Governor of the Bank of South Sudan and replaced by Yeni Samuel Costa, and Simon Akuei, who was sacked as Commissioner General of the South Sudan Revenue Authority, with William Anyuon Kuol taking over. Paul Logale was also replaced as SPLM Secretary General by Akol Paul Kordit.
The purge followed reports earlier in the day that Mel’s security detail had been withdrawn and that he was under de facto house arrest in Juba. His dismissal shocked many political observers, as the 52-year-old had been viewed as Kiir’s preferred successor and one of the most influential figures in the country’s power hierarchy.
Dr. Mel was appointed Vice President and head of the government’s economic cluster in February 2025, replacing veteran politician James Wani Igga, and later became the SPLM’s First Deputy Chairman in May. His rapid rise through the ranks — including a promotion to full general in September — had fueled speculation about his growing political ambitions.
However, Mel’s tenure was marred by controversy. The United States government sanctioned him in 2017 over corruption allegations, claiming his construction company received preferential government contracts. Despite the sanctions, Kiir continued to promote him to senior positions.
His dismissal comes just weeks after a United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan (CHRSS) released a damning report linking Bol Mel and other elites to the “systematic looting” of public resources. The report accused senior officials of diverting $2.2 billion from the national budget, worsening hunger and poverty in the country.
“Instead of directing national wealth toward serving the population, the country’s political leaders have systematically diverted both oil and non-oil revenues through corruption and unaccountable schemes entrenched throughout government,” said Commissioner Barney Afako.
The UN report titled “Plundering a Nation” specifically mentioned Bol Mel as a key beneficiary of illicit state contracts that left over 90pc of planned infrastructure projects incomplete.
Analysts say Kiir’s decision may have been influenced by growing international pressure and internal power struggles within the SPLM.
“This move signals a major realignment in South Sudan’s political landscape,” said one Juba-based political observer. “Bol Mel’s fall from grace could reshape succession politics as the country heads into a critical election period.”
No official statement has yet been issued by Dr. Bol Mel or his aides regarding the dismissal.
