South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has fired the country’s army chief, Paul Nang Majok, after seven months in the post and appointed Dau Aturjong as the new Chief of Defence Forces, with no reason given for the dismissal.
The move comes amid ongoing violence between the army and the White Army, an ethnic militia largely comprising Nuer youths, which has triggered the country’s latest political crisis.
The army spokesperson, Lul Ruai Koang, said it was normal for appointments and dismissals to be made without explanation, as the country continues to grapple with recurring bouts of violence despite a 2018 peace deal aimed at ending years of civil war.