South Sudan president sacks police chief amidst coup rumours

South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit has dismissed the country’s Inspector-General of Police Gen. Majak Akec Balok following rumours of a coup attempt.

The president in his decree read out on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Tuesday did not state any official reason for the decision.

However, it comes just days after reports of unrest within the presidential guards, also known as Tiger Battalion, and the National Security Service (NSS), with sources claiming that around 27 officers from both security agencies were arrested.

Gen. Balok was appointed to the position in February 2018, having previously served as the director-general of nationality, passport, and immigration.

President Kiir has also appointed Lt. Gen. Atem Marol Biar as the new Inspector-General of Police. The new police chief was previously the Director General of the Interior Ministry’s Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality Passports, and Immigration.

The dismissal of Gen. Balok and the appointment of Gen. Biar are the latest in a series of changes to South Sudan’s security sector.

These changes come as the country continues to grapple with political instability and violence and as rumours of a coup attempt continue to swirl.