JUBA – South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir Mayardit has re-appointed opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar Teny as the country’s first vice president for the second time in accordance with the revitalized peace deal signed by the two men in September 2018.
Kiir also dismissed the incumbent first vice-president Taban Deng Gai and along with vice-president James Wani Igga before re-appointing the two as vice-presidents representing the government.
In a separate decree, the South Sudanese leader appointed Rebecca Garang of the Former Detainees (FDs) as vice president entitled to the group but did not make any appointment for the vice president representing the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) as vice-presidents in accordance with the agreement.
Kiir and Machar signed a revitalized version of a 2015 peace deal in 2018.
The agreement provided for the return of Machar to the position which he held prior to the renewal of fighting in July 2016 which was triggered by a dogfight between guards belongs to Kiir and Machar at the presidential palace J1.
Machar’s return to the presidency as well as the government formation which is expected take place tomorrow is a great break-through in the implementation of the 2018 peace deal.
The actions have been delayed after the two men failed to agree on a number of pre-transitional tasks which includes the number and boundaries of states pushing the government formation which would have happened in May last year.
Kiir last week revoked the 32 states and decided to return the country to 10 states, but created three “administrative areas” of Abye, Ruweng and Pibor.
Machar who initially protested the creation of the new states made a U-turn to accept the formation of the transitional government with the three administrative areas in place.
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