South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has fired his powerful spy chief General Akol Koor Kuc.
He became head of the feared National Security Services (NSS) after independence in 2011 and continued throughout the bitter civil war that followed.
No reason was given in the presidential decree announcing his removal, which was read on national television on Wednesday evening, but he has been appointed governor of the president’s home state of Warrup, where insecurity is widespread.
Analysts say this could be a sign of a power struggle in Kiir’s inner circle, with some believing General Kuc is one day in line to take over from the 73-year-old president.
It is not known how old the former spy is, but he is believed to be in his late 50s or early 60s.
The uproar at the NSS came weeks after it was announced that the long-delayed elections, due to take place in December, had been postponed by two years.
While some see General Kuc’s appointment as governor as a demotion, others believe the move could also help quell violence in Warrap State.
It is one of the hotspots of conflict in South Sudan, where fighting continues between rival ethnic communities despite the 2018 peace deal to end the civil war.
A job as governor would also give General Kuc experience in a civilian role, which some say could be a way to prepare him for political life.
This week saw violence in Warrup’s Tonj North province – with revenge attacks killing at least 20 civilians and wounding 37 others, Netherlands-based Radio Tamazuj quoted local authorities as saying.
Sources told the BBC that major roads to the village of Akok in Tonj North were still blocked by heavily armed young men on Wednesday.
General Kuc’s replacement at the NSS is General Akec Tong Aleu, who holds a position in the Ministry of Defense.
Under the leadership of General Kuc, the NSS faced fierce criticism from human rights groups.
It is known for its crackdown on opposition voices, including activists and journalists, with waves of arbitrary arrests and other alleged abuses. It denies allegations of abuse.
Oil-rich South Sudan became the world’s newest country 13 years ago after secession from Sudan, but was then engulfed in civil war after Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar fell out.
After five years of fighting, they signed a power-sharing agreement, which was fraught with problems.
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