President Salva Kiir has promoted the country’s former deputy defense minister and named him as the new assistant chief of defense forces for administration.

President Kiir, according to SPLA army spokesman Lul Ruai Koang, appointed Thoi Chany Reat, on Friday. The announcement was made at the army headquarters in the capital Juba.

Thoi was appointed as deputy defence minister as part of the representation of the 2015 peace agreement to represent the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-In-Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by First Vice President Taban Deng Gai.

He was removed from his ministerial position this month.

The faction controlled by Gai joined the country's ruling party led by President Salva Kiir after an SPLM convention held in Juba with the goal of reunifying the historical party.