South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has appointed a member of his ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), as the new governor of Jonglei State, in a move that appears to violate a provision of the 2018 peace agreement.
The peace agreement stipulates that the position should be allocated to the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA).
Dr. Riek Gai Kok, a prominent SPLM member and former national minister of health, has been named as the new governor of Jonglei State. He replaces Mahjoub Biel, a leading member of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), which is part of the SSOA coalition.
Mr. Mahjoub was appointed to the role in May 2024.
The 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, signed by President Kiir, SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar, and other political stakeholders, ended a five-year civil war and established a power-sharing framework. However, its implementation has been slow, with ongoing disputes over the unification of armed forces and the drafting of a permanent constitution.
Prior to his appointment, Dr. Riek Gai Kok, who hails from Akobo County in Jonglei State, served as chairperson of the Greater Bahr El Ghazal Peace Committee.
Wazir Michael, a Jonglei lawmaker and spokesperson for the Federal Democratic Party (a member of the SSOA), said: “The leadership of SSOA will issue an official statement. As we know, the peace agreement is very clear, and allocations have been made clear in the peace agreement.”
“There is no official statement from the leadership of SSOA on the swapping of Jonglei State. The attempts to swap the state with the SPLM date back to before the appointment of Mahjoub as governor of Jonglei State, but discussions on the matter stopped after his appointment,” he told Radio Tamazuj.
The 2018 peace deal remains a cornerstone of South Sudan’s transition, but its slow implementation and recurring disputes over power-sharing continue to undermine confidence in the process.