South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dismissed two senior aides following a public embarrassment in which a deceased opposition politician was appointed to a panel intended to oversee preparations for December elections.

Steward Soroba Budia, a member of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), had died five years ago, but a presidential order dated January 30 listed him as a panel member. The oversight drew widespread ridicule on social media.

Without providing specific reasons, the president’s office announced that Press Secretary David Amour Major and the Chief Administrator in the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Valentino Dhel Maluet, had been relieved of their duties. A statement on the president’s official Facebook account, signed by Minister of Presidential Affairs Africano Mande Gedima, expressed Kiir’s “profound gratitude” for their service.

Amour had previously defended the office, saying the names for the panel were submitted by “stakeholders” and that a proper verification process was not conducted. He did not identify which stakeholder was responsible, and the UDP has not commented. It is unclear whether Amour’s statement contributed to his dismissal.

Budia was previously a signatory to the 2018 peace agreement that ended South Sudan’s post-independence conflict. The panel he was appointed to includes representatives from multiple parties and is intended to prepare for the upcoming elections. However, doubts persist about whether elections can be held, as ongoing fighting continues to destabilize the country.

The United Nations reports that recent clashes have displaced more than 180,000 people, with Jonglei state seeing the heaviest fighting between government forces and troops aligned with suspended Vice President Riek Machar. Machar, currently under house arrest, faces charges of murder, treason, and crimes against humanity, which he denies.

Kiir and Machar are both part of the unity government established under the 2018 peace settlement, which ended a five-year civil war triggered by a power struggle between the two leaders.