President Salva Kiir Mayardit has reshuffled his government, appointing General Akol Koor as the new Governor of Warrap State, replacing Kuol Muor Muor.
The announcement was made on Wednesday evening through a republican order broadcast on the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC).
General Akol Koor, who previously held the position of Director General of the Internal Security Bureau (ISB) for many years, has been a prominent figure in South Sudan’s security apparatus.
His tenure has not been without controversy; in 2016, the United Nations imposed sanctions on him for alleged human rights violations.
Furthermore, the U.S. government enforced financial restrictions on General Akol and four other South Sudanese security officials. These measures were linked to their alleged involvement in the 2017 disappearance and kidnapping of Aggrey Idri and Dong Samuel Luak, who were abducted from Kenya.
In a concurrent move, President Kiir appointed General Akech Tong as the new Director General of the ISB. General Akech previously served as Undersecretary for Veteran Affairs in the Ministry of Defense and is a former Governor of Warrap State.
The motives behind these reshuffles remain unclear, though experts speculate that this could be a strategic move to distance influential military figures from national government affairs. General Akol Koor, currently out of the country, has yet to respond to the changes.
