Former South Sudan Finance Minister Arrested at Uganda Border

Dr Bak Barnaba Chol detained attempting to flee to Uganda days after being dropped from cabinet

NIMULE, UGANDA — Former South Sudan Finance Minister Dr Bak Barnaba Chol has been arrested at the Nimule border crossing as he allegedly attempted to escape into Uganda on Friday night, security sources have confirmed.

Dr Chol, who was removed from his position in a recent cabinet reshuffle by President Salva Kiir, was intercepted by security personnel around 8:00 PM local time while trying to cross the border on a motorcycle taxi (boda boda).

Sources familiar with the incident told 360NewsUG that the former minister was found in possession of large sums of US dollars at the time of his arrest. Social media footage circulating Friday night appeared to show Dr Chol with bloodstains on his clothing following what sources described as a pursuit by security forces.

The arrest comes just days after Dr Chol formally handed over office to his successor, Salvatore Garang Mabiordit, who was appointed as the new finance minister. Dr Chol, a professor at the University of Juba, previously served as finance minister from August 2023 until March 2024. His second tenure in the position lasted only three months.

At the time of publication, the South Sudanese government had not issued any official statement regarding the arrest. However, political observers suggest the detention may signal a widening crackdown on high-profile figures within the country’s finance and security sectors.

The arrest follows another significant detention earlier this week. South Sudan’s former central bank governor, Moses Makur Deng Manguak, was placed under house arrest in Juba shortly after returning from medical treatment in India, where he had undergone head surgery. Manguak led the Bank of South Sudan from January to August 2022.

The developments come amid ongoing political tensions in the world’s youngest nation, which has struggled with instability since gaining independence in 2011.