South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has taken the decision to dismiss central bank governor Johnny Ohisa Damian, along with other senior finance officials, as reported by state television.
This marks the second instance in just over a year that he has removed a central bank governor.
The announcement, which was made late on Monday, did not provide a specific reason for President Kiir’s decision to remove Damian and appoint James Alic Garang, an advisor to the International Monetary Fund, as his replacement.
In addition to the central bank governor, President Kiir has also replaced the two deputy governors of the central bank, the head of the government’s revenue authority, and several other senior officials within the finance and trade ministries.
Frequent and abrupt changes to the leadership of the central bank and finance ministry have become common in recent years. In 2020, for instance, the central bank governor was replaced twice within that year alone.
Johnny Ohisa Damian assumed the position of central bank governor in August 2022, following the removal of Moses Makur Deng from that role.
South Sudan’s economy has been struggling since the outbreak of a civil war in 2013, which led to the displacement of approximately a quarter of its population, with many seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.
The conflict significantly disrupted oil production, which is the primary driver of economic activity in South Sudan. Although crude output has shown some improvement in recent years, it has not yet reached the levels observed prior to the outbreak of the war.