JUBA, MARCH 6, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his First Vice President Riek Machar Teny scheduled a meeting to discuss the dismissal of the defense minister and swapping of the two dockets between the two peace partners for Thursday, an official confirmed.
Puok Both Baluang, Press Secretary in the Office of the First Vice President, said in a Facebook post on Monday that the meeting was rescheduled on President Kiir’s request.
“The office of the First Vice President would like to inform the public that the planned principals meeting scheduled today March 6th, 2023 between H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan, and H.E. Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, First Vice President & Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLM/SPLA (IO), has been adjourned to Thursday, March 9th, 2023,” Baluang said.
Baluang disclosed that is expected to discuss the dismissal of the Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs Angelina Teny.
“The meeting was planned to discuss the recent Republican Decree and Republican Order issued by the President on 3rd March 2023 in which he unilaterally removed the Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs and swapped the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs with the Ministry of Interior,” he said.
On 3rd March 2023, President Kiir sacked Ms. Angelina Teny as the country’s first female defense minister in a presidential decree.
The president also dismissed Interior Minister Mahmoud Solomon.
No reasons were given for their sacking.
Mr. Kiir also swapped the Ministry of Defense to his political party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), and the Interior Ministry to the SPLM-IO.
The SPLM-IO “condemned and rejected” the “unilateral removal” of Ms. Angelina Teny.
It called it a violation of the revitalized peace agreement, which gives parties the power to remove their representatives from the council of ministers and nominate the replacements by notifying the president.
The opposition said swapping of the ministries also violates the provisions of the peace agreement – which require the parties to agree on the allocation and selection of ministerial portfolios in the unity government.
