South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has convened an urgent security meeting with top officials on Friday following a shootout at the residence of ex-spy chief’s Akol Koor. The incident occurred on Thursday night in the capital, Juba, heightening concerns about the country’s stability.
Koor, who was dismissed in early October and placed under house arrest amid speculation of a coup plot, was at the center of the violence. Gunfire erupted near his home, prompting panic among residents. The situation was brought under control after roughly an hour.
The shootout has raised alarms in the world’s youngest country, which continues to struggle with political power struggles, ethnic tensions, and a dire economic crisis.
Repors suggest the incident took place during an attempt to arrest the ex-head of the National Security Services, but the army blamed a “misunderstanding” between security forces deployed to protect him.
Sources close to the presidency said Kiir convened an urgent meeting of security chiefs that also included Koor and his successor.
The meeting had “resolved all outstanding tensions” and that the spy chief and his family “have been assured of their safety”.
However details of the meeting could not be confirmed, and there was no official government statement.
In an alert to its staff on the ground on Thursday, the United Nations in South Sudan had said the shooting was linked to the arrest of the former spymaster and advised people to take cover.
But South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) spokesman Lul Ruai Koang denied claims circulating on social media that Koor had fled to the UN compound in Juba.
There was a heavy deployment of military forces around his home in the Thongpiny district but traffic has resumed and people were going about their daily business.
Police spokesman John Kassara said the situation was now calm but that Thongpiny remained sealed off and residents “should remain vigilant”.
Koor became head of the feared National Security Services (NSS) after South Sudan’s independence in 2011 but was sacked in October leading to widespread speculation he had been planning to overthrow Kiir.
After his dismissal from the NSS, Koor was appointed governor of Warrap State, Kiir’s home state, but this was abruptly revoked by the president before he took the oath of office.
Koang had said that there was a “misunderstanding” between two different security services providing protection at Koor’s home.
Koor’s sacking came just two weeks after Kiir again postponed by two years, to December 2026, the first elections in the nation’s history.
The delay has exasperated the international community, which has been pressing the country’s leaders to complete a transitional process, including unifying rival armed forces and drawing up a constitution.
