Makuei says cabinet meeting did not discuss defense ministry dispute

JUBA, MARCH 10, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan’s information minister Michael Makuei Lueth on Friday evening denied claims that the cabinet was discussing the disagreement between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar over the position of the minister of defense.

Kiir and Machar were meeting at the state-house J1 when social media users circulated information that the two have decided to refer the dispute resolution to the council of ministers which was then about to start at the  ministry of cabinet affairs.

The meeting between Kiir and Machar was discussing the sacking of the minister of defense Angelina Teny who was in the position on the ticket of the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) last Friday.

But speaking following the council of ministers meeting on Friday evening, Makuei denied claims that the dispute between Kiir and Machar was referred to the council of ministers meeting and that the meeting did not discuss anything related to the defense ministry dispute.

“This is a office of the president’s meeting. We were in the hall here waiting for them, so I don’t know what they discussed,” Makuei said.

“The person to ask I don’t know who that is. So far they (Kiir and Machar) are the one who were in their meeting and they finish their meeting and came to us in the hall for [the council of ministers] meeting,” he said,” he added.