Makuei says Kiir, Machar resolved disagreement over defense ministry

JUBA, JUNE 24, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – South Sudan’s information minister and government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth has insisted that President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his first deputy Riek Machar have resolved the disagreement over the sacking of the minister of defense Angelina Teny.

In a statement on Thursday, the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) denied speculations that the dispute over the sacking of the minister of defense and swapping of the ministry in March has been resolved by the president and his first deputy.

In a presidential decree on March 3, Kiir dismissed  Angelina Teny, a member of the SPLM-IO, as minister of defense. He then issued another decree transferring the ministry from the main armed opposition group to his party.

The changes angered SPLM-IO which argued that Kiir, a leader of one of the signatory parties to the revitalized peace agreement, has no power to remove officials nominated to the government by other parties to the revitalized peace agreement.

Last week, the SPLM-IO denied speculations that Kiir and Machar have resolved the disagreement.

But speaking to reporters following a cabinet meeting on Friday, Makuei said the two men have resolved the dispute and that President Kiir was waiting for SPLM-IO nominee to the ministry of interior.

“What we know is that we are waiting for the minister of interior to be appointed and deputy minister of defense is appointed and deputy minister of interior to be relieved and another minister to be appointed in his place,” he said.

“This is what I know, and if there is anything as such, I have no knowledge about it and we will see until it is brought to us officially, we don’t react to what happened on social media,” he added.

The senior government official further said that they have not yet received an official objection regarding the agreement the two leaders reached over the ministerial position.

“That is the official communiqué and whatever people are saying here that it is not true that is another thing. So far, we have not received an official objection to what was said,” he said.

“The parties sat, and they agreed and if anybody is saying that is not true then they should come to us and say what we agreed upon last time is not in place,” he added.