South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has fired Finance Minister Marial Dongrin Ater, the seventh person to hold the position since 2020, as the country faces ongoing economic challenges and political tensions.

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State-owned radio announced on Thursday that Kiir removed Marial Dongrin Ater, who had served as finance minister since July 2024, without providing an official explanation. Athian Ding Athian, who previously held the role from 2020 to 2021, has been appointed as his replacement.

South Sudan’s economy has struggled in recent years, affected by disruptions in crude oil exports following the 2013–2018 civil war and, more recently, instability in neighboring Sudan. The International Monetary Fund projects a 4.3% contraction in 2025, with inflation reaching 65.7%.

Kiir became South Sudan’s first president following the country’s independence from Sudan in 2011. Political tensions remain high: in March, First Vice President Riek Machar was placed under house arrest. Information Minister Michael Makuei stated that Machar had allegedly contacted supporters and “agitated them to rebel against the government with the aim of disrupting peace so that elections are not held and South Sudan goes back to war.”

The dismissal of the finance minister underscores South Sudan’s ongoing political instability and economic uncertainty, raising concerns about governance and the country’s prospects for sustained peace.

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