President Salva Kiir sacks South Sudan's finance minister 

President Salva Kiir sacks South Sudan's finance minister 

The decision, announced via state TV on Wednesday night, coincides with worsening inflation and a significant depreciation of the local currency against the US dollar.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has dismissed Finance Minister Awow Daniel Chuang less than four months after his appointment.

The decision, announced via state TV on Wednesday night, coincides with worsening inflation and a significant depreciation of the local currency against the US dollar.

Amid the deepening economic crisis, civil servants and the military have gone unpaid for several months. Citizens are grappling with soaring prices of essential goods, exacerbated by the deteriorating economic conditions.

Awow, a close ally of Kiir, assumed office as finance minister in March this year. During his tenure, he worked on salary payments for civil servants and sought international loans.

He replaced Bak Barnaba Chol, who was also dismissed as finance minister.

Economist Marial Deng has been tapped to replace Awow him as finance minister.

This week South Sudan marked its 13th Independence Day, a milestone for the world's youngest nation which has been plagued by the government's inability to pay its employees, including soldiers, for almost nine months.

The financial crisis has left many public servants struggling to survive, leading to widespread discontent and hampering the delivery of essential services.

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