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South Sudan President fires Military Chief after Three Months, Restores Predecessor

State-run TV reported that South Sudan President Salva Kiir removed the country's chief of military and reinstated its predecessor, whom Kiir had dismissed three months earlier.

South Sudanese military and government officials are undergoing a constant turnover as Kiir struggles to deal with the armed conflict in the country and the speculation about his succession.

Kiir has been leading a transitional administration in the impoverished, fractured country since its independence from Sudan, in 2011. Elections have been delayed twice and Riek Makar, Kiir’s main rival in a civil war that lasted from 2013-2018, was accused of treason last month.

South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation reported late Wednesday that Kiir appointed Paul Nang Majok as the new Chief Defence Forces to replace Dau Aturjong, without giving any reason for this decision.

Aturjong has been reassigned as a technical advisor at the Ministry of Defence.

Kiir sacked Majok in July without any explanation and replaced him by Aturjong.

This decision was made after renewed fighting in northeast, where the military had been briefly overrun with a Nuer militia.

Machar was placed under house arrest by the government in March on suspicion of supporting militias. He was then tried for crimes against humanity, murder, and treason last month. Machar denies the allegations.

His detention reignited concerns of a full-blown civil conflict, as his supporters accused the government of violating an agreement signed in 2018 for peace and power sharing.

Analysts believe that Kiir’s repeated shake-ups in the government and security apparatus is a way to consolidate his power and keep various factions happy.

Last month, U.N. inspectors accused South Sudanese officials of "systematic looting", or stealing the nation's resources for personal gain.

(source: Reuters)