JUBA, South Sudan, August 16, 2024 — South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed the First Undersecretary in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Malual Tap Dieu, amid allegations of corruption. Kiir appointed Garang Majak Bol as Dieu’s replacement, according to a decree announced Friday on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC).
The decision to remove Dieu follows the leak of documents implicating him in the embezzlement of funds within the ministry. The documents allege that Dieu falsely claimed millions of dollars in payments to his own companies while civil servants went unpaid for 10 months and foreign missions endured 40 months without salaries.
South Sudan’s economy has faced severe challenges in recent months. Crude oil export revenues have declined since the 2013-2018 conflict, exacerbated by disruptions caused by the war in neighboring Sudan. The Central Bank’s governor, James Alic Garang, noted in May that South Sudan’s foreign exchange reserves had hit historic lows. The International Monetary Fund projects a consumer price inflation rate of 54.8 percent for this year.
