Teny who is also the wife of opposition leader and First Vice President Riek Machar was appointed to the position by President Salva Kiir last week. She last served as defense minister until her sacking in March this year.
Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony, Kiir directed Mrs. Teny to reform the interior ministry so that it delivers its work to the expectations of the citizens.
“President Kiir has directed the newly appointed Minister of Interior Angelina Teny and her deputy Marial Gumke to work together in order to enable the institution to deliver on its mandate,” the presidency said in a statement.
First Vice President Machar, who was also present at the ceremony, urged the new officials to prepare a conducive environment for the conduct of elections next year.
For her part, Mrs. Teny said she would “join hands with officials in the ministry of interior to improve performance.”
Her deputy, Gumke, said he would “work jointly with colleagues in the ministry to achieve the overall direction of the political leadership.”
The appointment of Teny as interior minister is seen as a sign of progress in relations between the SPLM-IG and SPLM-IO, main signatories of the revitalized peace deal who have always blamed each other for the slow implementation of the agreement.