JUBA – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit has formed a committee headed by his first deputy Dr. Riek Machar Teny, to resolve the conflict in the ministry of health, according to the presidential advisor on security Tut Gatluak.
This comes after a meeting between President Kiir and First Vice President Machar resolved to resolve the power struggle which has been raging for months at the ministry of health between the Machar-nominated health minister Elizabeth Acuei and former undersecretary Victoria Anib Majur.
Speaking to the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) over the weekend, Gatluak said Kiir also directed Vice-President Hussein Abdelbaggi to continue finding solutions to other issues within the ministry of health.
“An agreement has been reached to resolve the conflict in the ministry of health through a committee formed by the President headed by the First Vice President (Dr Riek Machar) and the Vice President (Hussein Abdelbaggi Ayii), to continue solving other problems present in the ministry of health,” said Gatluak.
The dispute began earlier this month when Vice-president Hussein asked then Undersecretary at the minister Dr. Victoria to “conduct all the necessary changes in the management of the Juba Teaching Hospital that may assist in finding an amicable solution to the ongoing crisis at that institution.”
Dr. Victoria then went on to make reassignments touching on the directors and the director generals at the ministry while the minister was in the United States to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
The minister only returned to the country to revoke the re-appointments in Ministerial Order No 22/2021 terming them illegal.
Hussein then wrote to the minister warning her against ‘undermining’ reforms at the ministry, but Minister Acuei saw that as an attempt to undermine her authority and then issued a ministerial order suspending Dr. Victoria, replacing her with Dr. Samson Paul Baba who is now serving on an acting capacity.
The minister also ordered the formation of a disciplinary board following the provisions of the Civil Service Act and Regulations to investigate the ordered restructuring that she rescinded and ordered the report to be tabled before her in 90 days.
