South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir dismissed Unity State Governor Justice Riek Bim Top and reappointed Dr. Joseph Nguen Monytuil to the role, according to a decree reported by the state broadcaster in Juba on March 23, 2026.
The leadership change marks a return for Monytuil, a long-standing ally of the President and a familiar figure in Unity State’s political landscape. The decision follows a deadly attack three weeks earlier in Abiemnhom County in the Ruweng Administrative Area, where armed youth allegedly from Mayom County killed more than 200 people, including soldiers.
While the timing has raised questions, authorities have not confirmed whether the governor’s removal is directly linked to the violence.
Justice Riek Bim Top had been appointed in May 2024, replacing Monytuil, who had previously served multiple terms in the same position. Before his tenure as governor, Bim held roles within the military justice system in Juba. Both the outgoing and incoming governors are members of the ruling SPLM, under which the president retains authority to appoint and dismiss state officials as outlined in the 2018 peace agreement.
Monytuil’s political career spans more than a decade, beginning as caretaker governor in 2013. He later became the first governor of Northern Liech State in 2015 and resumed leadership of Unity State from 2020 until his dismissal in May 2024. His tenure, however, has been shadowed by controversy, including a vote of no confidence passed by the Council of States in August 2022 over insecurity and alleged human rights abuses.
International scrutiny has also followed Monytuil. In December 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned him over alleged involvement in actions threatening peace and stability, including accusations of systematic abuses in Leer County in 2022. A United Nations-backed commission further identified him among officials potentially warranting investigation for serious violations, claims the South Sudanese government has rejected as external interference.