By Jamillah Kemigisa
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has fired the Chief of Defense Forces, General Paul Nang Majok, after just seven months in office. The move, announced on state television, comes amid rising insecurity and deadly clashes between government troops and the White Army militia.
Majok, appointed in December 2024, oversaw the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) during an uptick in violence across the Greater Upper Nile. The White Army, a Nuer youth militia, has launched multiple attacks on civilians and military positions, with hundreds killed and over 40,000 people displaced.
Security sources say President Kiir and senior commanders were increasingly frustrated with Majok’s inability to neutralize the militia threat, despite heavy troop deployments. In his place, Kiir has appointed General Dau Aturjong, a respected veteran and former rebel commander known for his tough leadership style.
Aturjong’s appointment is seen as a strategic effort to stabilize restive regions and prepare the army for the country’s first general elections since independence, scheduled for 2025.
The dismissal has drawn mixed reactions. Some lawmakers in Juba welcomed it as a long-overdue move, while others warned it could deepen rifts within the army. Analysts say the decision may also reflect internal tensions within the ruling SPLM and broader doubts about the peace process.
With rebel activity on the rise and elections looming, President Kiir is under intense pressure to deliver results — not only on the battlefield but also in reconciling ethnic divisions and fulfilling commitments made under the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
Whether General Aturjong can succeed where his predecessor struggled remains to be seen.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, gained independence from Sudan in 2011. Just two years later, it descended into a devastating civil war in 2013, sparked by a political fallout between President Salva Kiir and his then-deputy Riek Machar. The conflict, largely fought along ethnic lines, killed an estimated 400,000 people and displaced millions.
A peace deal signed in 2018 brought a fragile unity government to power, but insecurity, armed militia groups like the White Army, and stalled security reforms have continued to threaten the nation’s stability.
Efforts to unify the armed forces, demobilize militias, and prepare for national elections have faced repeated setbacks, raising fears of renewed violence as the country approaches a critical democratic milestone.
