JUBA — South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has removed the country’s long-serving Chief Justice, Chan Reec Madut, in a late-night move that has stirred quiet ripples in the capital.
The abrupt decision, announced Wednesday evening on state broadcaster , offered no explanation. Also dismissed was Madut’s deputy, John Gatwech Lul.
Taking their place are Benjamin Bak Deng, now Chief Justice, and Laku Trankilo Nyumbi, named deputy. Both were senior judicial figures prior to their appointments.
Madut, a veteran in South Sudan’s fragile legal system, had held the post since 2011. His appointment came just weeks after the country’s independence, and he had become one of the longest-serving officials in Kiir’s administration.
The president has not commented on the reasons for the reshuffle.
Benjamin Bak Deng is no stranger to the judiciary. Before Wednesday’s appointment, he served as director of training and research at the Supreme Court and was a sitting judge himself. His deputy, Nyumbi, was responsible for Judge’s Affairs and sat on the Judiciary Service Commission, a key body overseeing judicial governance.
The shake-up comes amid wider tensions in the country’s political landscape.
Notably, First Vice President and opposition leader Riek Machar has been under house arrest since March 26 a detention that continues without formal charges. While there is no public link between Machar’s confinement and the judiciary reshuffle, the timing has raised eyebrows among observers.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, remains in a delicate post-war transition marked by power-sharing struggles and a judicial system often seen as under strain.
International actors, including the United Nations and African Union, have called for greater transparency and reforms in the country’s legal institutions.
As of Friday, neither the president’s office nor the judiciary had issued statements beyond the televised announcement.
With Madaraka Day ceremonies approaching in neighbouring Kenya, and diplomatic eyes focused on the Horn of Africa, many will be watching Juba closely in the coming days for both the legal implications and any signs of broader political shifts.
