Who is South Sudan’s new health minster Yolanda Awel Machar?

JUBA – President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Wednesday appointed opposition politician, Yolanda Awel Machar, who was nominated by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, as the country’s new minister of health.

A renowned psychologist among young South Sudanese, Yolanda was replacing Elizabeth Achuei who was appointed in 2020 on the ticket of the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO).

Many South Sudanese praised Machar for respecting the 35% women quota provided for in the revitalized peace agreement and for also appointing capable politicians such as Yolanda to this position after having been criticized over the appointment of ‘low-educated’ Elizabeth Achuei in 2020.

So, who is South Sudan’s new top health official?

Yolanda Awel Deng Juach hails from South Sudan’s Warrap state and studied psychology at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada where she obtained a bachelors’ decree.

She later obtained Master of Arts in conflict analysis and management from the Royal Roads University which is in Canada as well.

She married former Press Secretary in the office of then First Vice President Taban Deng Gai, Agel Ring Machar, in September 2011. They have four children together: two daughters, and two sons.

Mrs. Machar attended various institutions to specialize in working with vulnerable and specialized populations, according to Hot in Juba. She also worked with the Untied Nations dealing with ex-child soldiers and women in Africa and health authorities in authority.

In her political life, she joined the main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by First Vice President Machar in 2015 and became the secretary-general of the SPLM-IO women’s league.

Last year, she was appointed on the ticket of the main armed opposition group as a member of the reconstituted transitional national legislative assembly representing Twic County of Warrap state.