President Salva Kiir Mayardit has reappointed Gen. Santino Deng Wol as the Chief of Defence Forces of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), marking his return to the country’s top military leadership position following a series of presidential decrees announced on state television.
The announcement, broadcast on the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), confirmed a significant reshuffle within both the military and civilian leadership structures, though no official explanation was provided for the changes.
Gen. Santino Deng Wol returns to the position he previously held from April 2021 to December 2024, before being reassigned to other duties within the defence ministry.
His reappointment places him once again at the helm of the national army at a time of ongoing security and administrative adjustments within key state institutions.
In the same set of decrees, Gen. Dr. Paul Nang Majok, who had been serving as Chief of Defence Forces since October 2025, was relieved of the post and reassigned as Undersecretary for Veteran Affairs in the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs.
The changes form part of a broader government reshuffle that also affected senior positions in the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Ministry of Public Service and Human Resources Development.
Salvatore Garang Mabiordit was removed as Finance Minister and replaced by Kuol Daniel Ayulo, who previously served as First Undersecretary in the ministry.
In the civil service docket, Julius Tabuley Daniel was dismissed as Deputy Minister of Public Service and replaced by Clement Juma Ongonae, while Mahjoub Biel Turuk, a former Jonglei State governor, was appointed as Deputy Minister in the same ministry.
The reshuffle also filled a long-vacant position in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, signaling continued efforts to adjust leadership across key sectors of government.
While state media did not provide reasons for the latest changes, such presidential decrees have in the past been part of routine administrative restructuring within government and security institutions.
Gen. Santino Deng’s return as army chief is expected to draw attention within security circles, given his previous tenure overseeing the SSPDF during a period marked by ongoing reforms and security coordination efforts across the country.
