South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has named Angelina Teny, the former defense minister who was recently dismissed, as the new minister of the interior. Ms. Teny is the spouse of opposition leader Riek Machar, who serves as the country’s vice-president within a unity government established in 2018 to end the nation’s devastating six-year civil war.
Her earlier removal this year sparked opposition protests and jeopardized the delicate peace agreement between the president and his rival, Mr. Machar. According to the terms of the agreement, the defense ministry should be held by a member of Mr. Machar’s SPLM-IO party.
As of now, the SPLM-IO has not issued a statement regarding Ms. Teny’s reappointment to the cabinet, which was announced in a presidential decree broadcast on national television on Tuesday night.
This peace deal is designed to pave the way for South Sudan’s first election since it gained independence from Sudan 12 years ago. The elections are scheduled for December 2024.