South Sudan replaces foreign minister with deputy after dispute with US
(Reuters) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has replaced its foreign minister with his deputy, Monday Simaya Kumba, state media reported, following a migration dispute with the United States.
No explanation was given for the sacking of Foreign Minister Ramadan Mohamed, which was announced on the state radio station late on Wednesday.
The move follows a row with Washington over Juba's refusal to admit a Congolese man deported from the United States, which led to the Trump administration threatening to revoke all U.S. visas held by South Sudanese citizens.
South Sudan yielded to Washington's demands on Tuesday and allowed the man to enter the country.
Separately, a faction of South Sudan's main opposition party (SPLM-IO) said on Wednesday it had replaced its chairman, First Vice President Riek Machar, with an interim leader, Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol, until Machar was released from house arrest.
The move, which was criticised by other members of the party, could allow Kiir to sack longstanding rival Machar and consolidate his power over the government by appointing Kuol, analysts said.
"President Kiir (would) want people who would agree with him ... so that now the government's legitimacy will be created," said Kuol Abraham Nyuon, professor of political science at the University of Juba.
Machar, who has served in a power-sharing administration with Kiir since a 2018 peace deal ended a civil war between fighters loyal to the two men, was accused of trying to stir up rebellion and detained at his home last month.
Machar's party denies government accusations that it backs the White Army, an ethnic militia which clashed with the army in the northeastern town of Nasir last month, triggering the latest political crisis.
African Union mediators arrived in Juba last week to try and rescue the peace deal, but did not appear to have made any immediate progress.
On Thursday, embassies based in Juba, including France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, United States, the European Union, reiterated their call for the immediate release of all political detainees.
"It is urgent that South Sudan's leaders meet their obligations and demonstrate that their priority is peace," they said in a joint statement.
The SPLM-IO said Machar's detention had effectively voided the agreement that ended the five-year civil war in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed. The party later said they were committed to upholding the deal.
The SPLM-IO's military wing remained loyal to Machar, and was "not part and parcel of the betrayers in Juba", its spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel said in a statement on Wednesday.
Analysts say Kiir, 73, appears to be trying to shore up his position amid discontent within his own political camp and speculation about his succession plan.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Russian strikes kill 10, injure 50 Ukrainians, as new EU fails to pass new sanctions package
At least 10 Ukrainians were killed and 50 others wounded by Russian strikes over the past day, just after the EU stalled on a new sanctions package hoping to tighten the pressure on the Kremlin. A drone blasted a residential tower block in the port city of Odesa overnight, causing damage to several floors and trapping residents, according to emergency service workers. 4 Two people were killed in 17 injured in the Odesa strike overnight. via REUTERS Advertisement A teacher and her husband died, their bodies found under the debris. Another 17 people were injured, including three children, according to Ukrainian officials. The offensive in Odesa followed a Russian missile attack that killed at least five people and wounded 25 in the city of Samar in Ukraine's south-east on Friday – the second strike there in three days. 4 A Russian drone blasted a residential tower block in Odesa. via REUTERS Advertisement Another two civilians were also killed in their homes during Moscow's strikes on two villages in the Donetsk region Friday, and another man lost his life in a drone attack on the Kherson region. The pummeling of Ukrainian cities and the climbing death toll in the three-year war comes as Kyiv marked Constitution Day on Saturday — with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky taking time to salute the war dead. 'We honored the memory of our defenders whose lives were taken by Russian aggression,' he posted to X. 4 Children were among the injured in the Odesa strike. via REUTERS Advertisement 'We remember their sacrifice. Eternal gratitude and respect to the fallen heroes.' Meanwhile, the European Union extended existing sanctions against Russia for another six months, but the body failed to adopt a new sanctions package due to Slovak opposition Thursday, sources told the Kyiv Independent. A planned18th sanctions package, which would include new restrictions against the Kremlin's energy and banking sectors, is not expected to be approved until next week as negotiations continue. 4 A residential building was damaged after a Russian drone attack in Odesa in which a married couple was killed. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement Slovakia said it was willing to lift its veto once the EU promises to help mitigate the impact of weaning out Russian energy sources, which the country depends on. Last week, the UK and Canada escalated sanctions against Russia's financial, military and energy sectors, following the G7 meeting. 'We are coordinating on sanctions with all G7 nations, as well as with other key global jurisdictions,' Zelensky posted on X Saturday. 'Russia's accountability for this war and our sanctions pressure must be operating at full capacity. They must leave no room for Russia or its cronies to adapt.'
Business Insider
3 hours ago
- Business Insider
UK terminates $34B subsea cable energy agreement in North Africa
The UK government has officially withdrawn its support for the £25 billion ($34.4 billion) Morocco-UK Power Project, a pioneering plan to harness solar and wind energy from the Sahara Desert and transmit it to Britain via the world's longest subsea power cable. The UK government has withdrawn support for the £25 billion Morocco-UK Power Project due to national interest concerns. This project aimed to transmit renewable energy from Morocco to the UK via a 3,800 km subsea power cable. The lack of government-backed contracts reduced investment attractiveness, leading to project termination. The ambitious project, led by British clean energy company, Xlinks, involved laying over 3,800 kilometers of high-voltage subsea cables from Morocco's Guelmim-Oued Noun region to Devon in southwest England, to generate enough electricity to power over 7 million UK homes, accounting for up to 8% of the country's energy needs. Prior to its termination, the inter-continental energy project, which would have harnessed over 10.5 gigawatts of solar and wind power to deliver a steady 3.6 gigawatts of baseload energy, had reportedly cleared environmental permits and was scheduled for construction as early as 2027. Reuters report that over £100 million ($137 million) has already been spent on development and feasibility studies, with significant interest from lenders to fund the construction phase. However, the lack of a government-backed contract for difference and a guaranteed minimum price for electricity made the project riskier and less attractive to investors. Michael Shanks, UK Energy Minister highlighted the reasons for the decision; he said the government had concluded that, 'it is not in the UK national interest at this time to continue further consideration of support for the Morocco-UK Power Project. ' He also cited concerns over economic alignment and a shift toward ' homegrown power ' as part of a broader energy security strategy, adding that the government had concluded that it preferred domestic renewable investments with greater economic and energy security benefits. Reacting to the news of cancellation, Xlinks, Chairman, Dave Lewis said, 'We are hugely surprised and bitterly disappointed that the UK government would choose to walk away from an opportunity to unlock the substantial value that a large-scale renewable energy project like this would bring,' 'We are now working to unlock the potential of the project and maximize its value for all parties in a different way.' He added. The Morocco-UK Power Project At its core, the Morocco-UK Power Project was envisioned as a transcontinental clean energy solution; designed to tap into North Africa 's abundant sunshine and wind to help the UK meet its 2030 net-zero grid ambitions while easing reliance on natural gas. It would have featured 11.5 gigawatts of solar and wind capacity with battery storage to deliver 3.6 gigawatts of steady baseload power. Despite backing from major investors like TAQA, TotalEnergies, Octopus Energy, and GE Vernova, concerns over the project's complexity, transmission length, geopolitical risks, and dependency on a non-European partner ultimately led to the UK's decision to pull back. As global clean energy investment is projected to reach $3.3 trillion in 2025, with two-thirds going towards renewables and storage, the UK's move signals a shift towards resilient, domestic systems over cross-border mega-deals.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Poland's departing president asks Ukraine to be patient as successor settles in
Polish president-elect Karol Nawrocki has said he's committed to keep helping Ukraine against Russia's invasion but also signaled a possible shift on supporting Kyiv joining NATO. WARSAW, June 28 (Reuters) - Poland's departing President Andrzej Duda visited Ukraine on June 28 and urged Kyiv to be patient during the handover to his nationalist successor, Karol Nawrocki. Polish president-elect Nawrocki has said he is committed to keep helping Ukraine's defenses against Russia's invasion, but has signalled a possible shift in Warsaw's position by opposing Kyiv joining Western alliances such as NATO. "Please be patient," Duda told reporters at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "The world looks different from behind the presidential desk, slightly different from what it looks like to a candidate in elections." More: Trump says Putin is 'difficult' on Ukraine war, calls Russian leader 'misguided' Zelenskyy said he would "of course" invite Nawrocki to Ukraine after he assumes office. Duda's visit was a final gesture of solidarity from one of Ukraine's most vocal wartime supporters as he prepares to hand over the presidency in August. He was welcomed warmly and awarded an Order of Liberty by Zelenskyy, who is trying to rally support among Kyiv's allies at a crucial juncture in the grinding war with Russia. Ukraine is struggling to fend off Russian advances on the battlefield and intensifying missile and drone attacks on its cities as diplomatic efforts to end the fighting, now in its fourth year, have faltered. Neighbouring Poland, where more than 1 million Ukrainians have sought refuge since Russia's February 2022 invasion, has provided key humanitarian, political and military support to Kyiv.
