Africa-Press – South-Sudan. South Sudan’s main armed opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by First Vice President Riek Machar has denied claims on social media that the group has resolved the dispute over the sacking of the minister of defense.
“The Office of the First Vice President would like to categorically deny the false information that [….] H.E. President Salva Kiir Mayardit and First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, had broken the deadlock over the Republican Decree and Republican Order issued by the President on March 3rd, 2023, in which he unilaterally removed the Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs, Hon. Angelina Teny, and swapped the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs with the Ministry of Interior,” it said.
“In that regard, we would like to underline that no breakthrough was achieved at any of the meetings between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon to resolve the current deadlock. We, therefore, would like to urge our members, supporters, and the Public at large not to succumb to this fake news,” it added.
Kiir in March this year issued a controversial decree sacking Angelina Teny from the ministry of defense. He then issued another decree taking away the ministry from SPLM-IO and giving the group ministry of interior in return.
The SPLM-IO has written to the regional bloc, IGAD, demanding that the presidential decrees be revoked because it violates the revitalized peace agreement.
Based on the revitalized peace agreement, Kiir and Machar, as well as other groups, shall share power by appointing officials to senior government positions. According to the deal, each party shall nominate its officials to positions allocated to it, but the final appointing authority shall be the president who will however have no power to remove without prior consultations and consent of the nominating party.
This morning however, social media users circulated speculations that Machar and Kiir have resolved the dispute over the feud. But in a statement seen by Sudans Post, Machar’s office denied the claim and said that the disagreement remains.
Source: Sudans Post
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