South Sudan’s government has apologised after mistakenly appointing a deceased man to a presidential panel created to help negotiate talks ahead of the country’s long-delayed elections.
President Salva Kiir last week announced a list of appointments meant to support preparations for elections now scheduled for December 2026.
However, one of the individuals named, Steward Sorobo, was reported by local media to have died about five years ago.
In a statement on Monday, Kiir’s press secretary, David Amour Majur, said the presidency had “learned with regret” that one of the appointed signatories had died.
He admitted that proper verification was not carried out, describing the incident as an “unfortunate administrative oversight.”
Following the controversy, Majur was dismissed the next day with immediate effect, alongside Valentino Dhel Malueth, according to a statement from the Office of the President.
The government also announced that Marik Nanga Marik will replace Malueth as the new Chief Administrator in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, while the appointment of a new press secretary remains pending.
Sorobo’s name has since been removed from the appointment list, but his family said the error caused significant distress.
A family representative, Boboya James Edimond, demanded “cultural and moral reparation,” calling the mistake a serious cultural and spiritual violation.
The incident sparked widespread mockery on social media, with users accusing the government of careless “copy and paste” appointments.
One commenter jokingly suggested the deceased should remain on the panel as a coordinator “between the living and dead” to help bring peace to the country.
