South Sudan Speaker Calls Emergency Sitting as Pressure Mounts Over Her Removal

Juba April 7, 2026 - South Sudan’s Speaker of Parliament, Jemma Nunu Kumba, has summoned Members of Parliament and government ministers to an extraordinary sitting, as political pressure intensifies following a ruling party move to remove her from office. The emergency session, scheduled for April 8, comes days after the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) voted to withdraw confidence in her leadership and recommended her dismissal to President Salva Kiir. Parliamentary spokesperson Oliver Mori Benjamin confirmed the summons, describing the session as unprecedented and instructing all lawmakers and ministers to attend. “We are in the operations room in Parliament, although it is a holiday. All Members of Parliament and ministers are required to attend this sitting without fail. The agenda will be communicated, but as you are aware, there have been political developments,” he said. The developments stem from an internal dispute within the SPLM, where a caucus meeting chaired by President Kiir on March 31 reportedly resulted in a unanimous vote of no confidence against Kumba. Lawmakers subsequently recommended her removal, forwarding the decision to the president, who also serves as party chairman. Reports suggest that a leadership change in Parliament could occur within days, with potential successors already under discussion within party ranks. In response, the Speaker’s office has challenged the process, stating that Kumba was not given an opportunity to respond to the allegations during the caucus meeting and that no formal parliamentary procedure was followed. “The Office of the Speaker has taken note of the concerns raised and stands ready to address these matters through appropriate institutional processes,” the statement said. The emergency sitting places Kumba in the unusual position of convening a session that could ultimately determine her political future. At the center of the dispute are allegations of financial misconduct raised in a petition by a group of SPLM lawmakers. The claims include funds linked to regional parliamentary games, procurement expenditures, and alleged irregular payments for services. The allegations have not been independently verified, and Kumba has not publicly addressed them in detail. The controversy has intensified divisions within the ruling party and raised broader concerns about governance and accountability in South Sudan’s legislature. Analysts say the situation reflects deeper fractures within the SPLM as the country approaches planned elections later in 2026, pointing to a possible realignment of political power within the unity government. Kumba, who became South Sudan’s first female Speaker in 2021, now faces one of the most significant challenges of her political career, with the outcome of the emergency sitting expected to shape both parliamentary leadership and the wider balance of power in the country.