Africa-Press – South-Sudan. South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Tuesday night appointed Angelina Teny, the country’s former defense minister and a senior member of the main armed opposition SPLM-IO, as the new minister of interior.
The appointment was announced in a decree readout on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC).
In a separate decree, Kiir removed the deputy minister of interior, General Peter Puok Koang of the SPLM-IO, and replaced him with Marial Gumke of the SPLM-IG, his faction of the SPLM party.
Teny, who was named in 2020 to become South Sudan’s first female defense minister, was controversially removed in a ministerial swap by President Kiir in March this year.
Kiir had said at the time that the defense portfolio would now belong to his party and that the interior ministry would be given to the SPLM-IO.
The SPLM-IO said the decree violated the revitalized peace agreement, under which the ministry of defense was allocated to the main armed opposition group.
It is unclear why Kiir has now appointed Teny as interior minister, but it is seen as a significant move in the context of the country’s fragile peace process.
Teny is a respected figure within the SPLM-IO and her appointment could help to improve relations between the SPLM-IG and the SPLM-IO.
The interior ministry is responsible for overseeing the police, fire department, and other internal security agencies.
It is a key position in any government and Teny’s appointment will give her significant influence over security matters in South Sudan. She also makes history as the first female interior minister in the country.
The SPLM-IO was not immediately reachable as to if they had agreed with Kiir on the appointment.
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