South Sudan president, deputy reach consensus on states

South Sudan President Salva Kiir (left) and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar (right) speaks to reporters in Juba on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019 (Photo credit via PPU)

JUBA – South Sudan President Salva Kiir and his First deputy Dr. Riek Machar have this afternoon reached a consensus on the allocation of the states, a senior government official said this afternoon.

Nhial Deng Nhial, the minister in the office of the president said the meeting in which the agreement was reached was conducted today at the state house in Juba.

He said the two, Kiir and Machar, have agreed to allocate six states to the SPLM in government, three to the SPLM in Opposition and one state to the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA).

According to Nhial, the government will take the states of Warrap, Lakes, Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Eastern Equatoria, Central Equatoria, and Unity.

For its part, the SPLM-IO will take the states of Upper Nile, Western and Eastern Equatoria.

They have agreed to give South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) one state of Jonglei.