SSYR Statement on President Kiir’s New Appointments and Power Consolidation
For Immediate Release
October 6, 2025 | Juba
The South Sudan Youth Reforms (SSYR) expresses deep concern over President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s recent decrees appointing Gen. James Koang Chuol as Deputy Minister of Defense, Maj. Gen. Valentino Baak Makuei as Commander of the Presidential Guard, and Bany Gideon Mabor as Minister for East African Community Affairs.
While SSYR recognizes the importance of filling key national security and foreign policy positions, the manner and pattern of these reshuffles reveal a troubling consolidation of power under the presidency at the expense of genuine peace and reform.
Undermining the Peace Agreement
The Deputy Minister of Defense position, previously anticipated to be allocated to the SPLM-IO as part of the 2018 peace deal, has instead been handed to a loyalist of the ruling SPLM. This violates the spirit of the power-sharing framework and highlights how the defense ministry has been reduced to a direct extension of the presidency rather than a mechanism for implementing security reforms.
Militarizing Loyalty over Reform
The reassignment of the Tiger Division command from Gen. Philip Nyon Nyon to Maj. Gen. Valentino Baak Makuei—President Kiir’s former aide-de-camp—illustrates the practice of rotating commanders to prevent any officer from establishing an independent power base. This militarization of loyalty perpetuates instability and entrenches a one-man rule, while further eroding public confidence in the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF).
Politicizing Governance
The removal of veteran politician Deng Alor Kuol from the Ministry of East African Community Affairs and his replacement with Bany Gideon Mabor underscores how government reshuffles are less about reform and competence than about political calculation. Without independence, such ministries risk becoming avenues for personal gain rather than platforms for advancing South Sudan’s regional and economic integration.
SSYR’s Position
- We strongly condemn the continued manipulation of state institutions and security structures to serve partisan and personal interests.
- We call for respect of the 2018 peace agreement, including the genuine implementation of power-sharing provisions.
- We demand that the defense ministry and the Tiger Division be depoliticized and restructured to serve national security, not presidential patronage.
- We urge regional and international guarantors of the peace process to hold the government accountable for undermining reforms.
A Warning to South Sudan’s Future
These reshuffles confirm that the government is prioritizing political survival over national unity, deepening mistrust, and dismantling the credibility of institutions meant to safeguard peace. Without urgent reforms, South Sudan risks sliding further into authoritarianism and instability, leaving its people betrayed by broken promises of peace.
📌 #SSYR #PeaceNotPatronage #ReformSouthSudan #YouthForChange