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South Sudan President Sacks Senior Aides After Dead Man Named to Election Panel
February 3,2026
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed two senior aides following public embarrassment over the appointment of a deceased opposition figure to a national elections panel.
A presidential order issued on 30 January named Steward Soroba Budia, a member of the United Democratic Party (UDP), as part of a committee tasked with steering talks ahead of elections scheduled for December. However, local media quickly revealed that Budia had died five years ago, triggering widespread ridicule on social media.
In an official statement, President Kiir relieved his press secretary, David Amour Major, and the chief administrator at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Valentino Dhel Maluet, of their duties. The statement, signed by Minister of Presidential Affairs Africano Mande Gedima, thanked the two for their service but did not specify reasons for their dismissal.
Earlier, Amour said the presidency relied on names submitted by stakeholders and admitted that proper verification had not been conducted, describing the incident as an “unfortunate administrative oversight.” He did not identify the stakeholder involved, and the UDP has yet to comment.
Budia was a signatory to the 2018 peace agreement that ended years of conflict following South Sudan’s independence in 2011. President Kiir established the elections panel to help prepare the country for long-delayed polls, though doubts remain over whether the vote will take place amid ongoing insecurity.
The United Nations estimates that more than 180,000 people have been displaced by recent fighting, particularly in Jonglei state, where government forces are battling groups linked to suspended Vice-President Riek Machar. Machar, who denies charges of murder, treason and crimes against humanity, is currently under house arrest.
Despite a 2018 deal to form a unity government, political tensions and violence continue to threaten South Sudan’s fragile peace and planned elections.
