South Sudan’s new deputy spy chief, mining minister sworn in

JUBA – South Sudan’s newly Deputy Director General of General Intelligence Service at the National Security Service (NSS), Gen. Gregory Deng Kuac, and the newly appointed minister of mining in the unity government, Gen. Martin Gama Abucha, have this afternoon been sworn in, according to a statement by the presidency.

Gen. Deng, President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s brother in law, and Gen. Abucha, the representative of the SPLM-IO in the CTSAMVM and Executive Director in the Office of the First Vice President, were appointed in a republican decree over the weekend by the South Sudanese head of state.

In a statement this evening, the office of the president said the swearing in ceremony which was attended by President Kiir himself, was administered by the country’s Chief Justice Chan Reec Madut and was attended by senior government officials.

“His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic, has this morning presided over the swearing-in ceremony of Hon Martin Gama Abucha as the Minister of Mining in the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity and Major General Gregory Deng Kuac as the Deputy Director General of General Intelligence Bureau (GIB), National Security Service,” the presidency statement said.

“The swearing-in ceremony was administered by Chief Justice Chan Reech Madut in the Office of the President,” the statement added.

Those in attendance were Kiir’s security advisor Tut Gatluak Manimeh, presidential minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin, South Sudan’s external security intelligence chief, Gen. Simon Yien Makuac and Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit, a close member of President Salva Kiir’s government and member of the reconstituted parliament.