Kiir names new defense minister, ‘furious’ Machar to response

JUBA, MARCH 29, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Wednesday night issued a republican decree naming a replacement for the minister of defense and veterans’ affairs who was removed from the position nearly one month ago.

Kiir early last month issued several republican decrees including one for the dismissal of Angelina Teny – who is also the wife of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny – as the minister of defense and veterans’ affairs.

In another decree, Kiir also relieved the minister of interior Mahmoud Solomon. He then swapped the two ministries saying that the defense portfolio would now belong to his party while the interior ministry would be taken by the SPLM-IO and did not name replacement for the two ministers.

In a decree read out on the state-own South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) this evening, Kiir relieved the deputy minister of defense General Chol Thon, and appointed him – in another decree – as the new minister of defense and veterans’ affairs, replacing Angelina Teny.

MACHAR TO RESPONSE

Speaking to Sudans Post following the republican decrees, a senior SPLM-IO member allied to Machar said the opposition leader was preparing a statement along with his allies to response to the latest change.

“The leadership [of the SPLM-IO) under H.E Dr. Riek Machar Teny is consulting as to how we can response to the latest decree of Salva Kiir Mayardit,” the official said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Machar last month protested the removal of Angelina Teny as defense minister, saying Kiir who is one of the two main signatories to the revitalized peace agreement has no power to dismiss officials representing other parties to the agreement in the unity government.

A meeting to resolve the matter between the two men “ended in deadlock”, according to Machar’s aides.

But Kiir’s office claimed that the meeting between the two men was successful, despite no indication as to if the President may change his mind over the changes.

A meeting hosted between the two men by Ethiopian prime minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed appeared to have also ended without a tangible result.