President Salva Kiir on Thursday night made changes in the Jonglei State government, removing and appointing some constitutional post holders from his own party.
Citing powers in line with the 2018 peace agreement in a decree read on state-run South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), Kiir fired Jonglei state cabinet affairs minister, Gordon Koang, information minister John Samuel Manyuon, minister of animal resources Chuol Dhieu Teny, minister of housing Isaac and health minister Atong Kuol Manyang.
In another decree, Kiir appointed John Samuel Manyuon as the new minister of cabinet affairs, Abraham Mamer Kur as the minister of housing, Elizabeth Nyadak John Jok as the minister of information, Atong Kuol Manyang Juuk as the minister of animal resources and Chuol Dhieu Teny as the new minister of health.
The South Sudanese leader gave no reasons for the changes.
Also, Kiir removed Donge Gai Donge and John Riek Ayiei from their positions as members of the Jonglei State HIV/AIDS Commission. He then appointed William Ater Manyuon Ater and John Tiel Mayul as new members of the state HIV/AIDS Commission.
The president also appointed Paulino Bol Matai as a member of the Anti-Corruption Commission, replacing the late Diafrik William Nyuon.
Kiir in another decree fired the commissioner of Bor County, James Tuor Kur Bor, and replaced him with Samuel Ateny Pech Ariik.
He also revoked the appointment of Tuong Majok Deng as a member of the Jonglei State Parliament and appointed Chany Nei Mameth as a member of the state legislative assembly representing the SPLM party.
President Kiir, Frist Vice President Riek Machar and other political figures signed a peace agreement in 2018 that ended five years of civil war.
In August 2022, the parties to the peace agreement extended the transitional government’s time in office for another two years.
The end of the transitional period was scheduled for 2022 but was pushed back to December 2024 due to the lack of progress on many provisions of the agreement.