Vice President James Wani Igga was sworn in by President Salva Kiir to his new position as second vice president today, following the appointment last night of Riek Machar to the more senior position of First Vice President.

Igga last year had resisted the idea that he would be made junior to Machar, but he finally accepted after the signing of a peace deal in August 2015. 

Speaking after the swearing-in on Friday, Igga thanked the president for his trust and confidence upon him. He said the next period will be a difficult moment in the history of the South Sudan if there is no cooperation between the parties to the agreement.

“I know that, this is a difficult moment of our history, the history of the new republic of South Sudan… but I believed with the trust, confidence and cooperation of my colleagues in the upcoming cabinet and particular cooperation between the parties to the agreement, if we cooperate, am sure we will deliver to our people,” Igga said.

He further called upon Riek Machar to return to Juba from exile to take up his appointment as First Vice President.

“You know as First Vice President or even a Vice President once appointed you cannot represent a country abroad. So the best is for him to come with his entire team,” he said.

Igga further added that his team is ready for the formation of the cabinet and if all the parties to the agreement sit in one table he is sure that all the outstanding issues will be resolved once and for all, including the controversy over 28 states.