The chairperson of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Salva Kiir, on Tuesday confirmed the members of the National Liberation Council and Political Bureau.
This comes after the closing meeting of the SPLM leadership in the capital Juba. The meeting, which started last Friday, aimed at restructuring the historical party, which fractured into different groups after the civil war erupted in December 2013.
The party leadership approved the dismissal of Riek Machar and Pagan Amum.
Machar, who leads the opposition SPLM-IO, was the first deputy chairman of the ruling SPLM party, while Pagan Amum, a prominent opposition figure in exile, was secretary general of the party.
In a statement read out on state-owned television, Kiir, who is also the country’s president, confirmed the following names as members of the National Liberation Council, the highest organ of the party.
-Salva Kiir Mayardit- Chairperson
-James Wani Igga- First Deputy Chairperson
-Daniel Awet Akot – Second Deputy Chairperson
-Kuol Manyang Juuk – Third Deputy Chairperson
-Peter Lam Both – Secretary General
-Akol Paul Kordit – First Deputy Secretary General
– Tulio Odongi- Second Deputy Secretary General
The party leader also confirmed 10 NLC members from Central Equatoria State, 12 members from Western Equatoria, 11 from Lakes State, 12 from Western Bahr el Ghazal State, 12 from Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, 12 from Warrap State, 11 from Unity State, 12 from Upper Nile State, 10 from Jonglei State, 6 from Abyei, three members representing youth, six members from northern sector states and six members from the diaspora.
Kiir also confirmed the following names as members of the SPLM Political Bureau:
-Salva Kiir Mayardit –Chairperson
-James Wani Igga- First Deputy Chairperson
-Daniel Awet Akot – Second Deputy Chairperson
-Kuol Manyang Juuk – Third Deputy Chairperson
-Peter Lam Both – Secretary General
-Akol Paul Kordit – First Deputy Secretary General
– Tulio Odongi- Second Deputy Secretary General
Kiir appointed 31 others as members of the SPLM Political Bureau.
President Kiir, who has been in office for over a decade, was also endorsed by the party to run for president in elections due to be conducted in about two years.
In August, President Kiir and the parties to the 2018 peace agreement announced the extension of the transitional government for another two years, meaning general elections would be held in December 2024.