South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir, has sacked one of his five vice presidents in a series of firings that come amid escalating internal conflict.
Benjamin Bol Mel was appointed in February and had been widely rumoured to be Kiir’s preferred successor.
The powerful vice president was also stripped of his position as deputy leader of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party, and was demoted from general to private in the National Security Service.
No reason was given for his sacking and no successor has been named.
However, Bol Mel has been under United States. sanctions for alleged corruption since 2017, and a recent United Nations report accused companies affiliated with him of receiving $1.7 billion for road construction work that was never done.