President Salva Kiir - File Photo courtesy of Office of the President

The Office of the President has directed that appointments and removals of government officials through presidential decrees will no longer be announced on the state media, except for national ministers and state governors.

The Office of the President has announced a new communication protocol under which appointments and removals of most government officials will be conveyed through official letters rather than televised presidential decrees.

In a circular issued today, the presidency clarified that national ministers and state governors are exempt from the new directive, and their appointments and removals will continue to be announced publicly through presidential decrees broadcast on the state-run South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC).

According to the circular, all other public officials will now receive written notification as the sole and authoritative confirmation of presidential decisions.

The directive affects a wide range of officials, including national members of parliament, national undersecretaries, senior civil servants, chairpersons of independent commissions, ambassadors, state ministers, county commissioners, and heads of government parastatals.

Speaking to Eye Radio this afternoon, the Spokesperson in the Office of the President, David Amuor, said the move is intended to improve administrative order and clarity in government communication.

“For ministers and governors, nothing has changed—they will still be announced through SSBC,” Amuor said. “But for all other officials, formal letters will now be used.”

For years, SSBC has served as the primary channel through which the public learned of changes in government positions, with presidential decrees often read live during evening broadcasts.

The new directive marks a shift away from that tradition toward more formalized and less public-facing communication.

The presidency emphasized that written notifications will now serve as the official record of appointments and removals and instructed all affected institutions, agencies, and departments to strictly adhere to the new protocol.