Talks between the government and opposition groups over allocations of states are still ongoing, a senior government official said.

“At the moment, talks over the issue of states are continuing. The process is currently underway through committees representing the parties,” Tut Gatluak, the presidential advisor on national security affairs, told Radio Tamazuj this morning.

Mr. Tut said that there was progress in negotiations with the opposition to end the dispute over state allocations.

According to the agreement, the parties to the revitalized peace agreement are required to choose the state governor positions according to the percentages.

The presidential advisor further said they had agreed on cabinet posts under the power-sharing deal.

According to Tut, President Kiir’s side has retained the Finance, Interior, and Foreign Affairs dockets. “The SPLM-IO has been given the ministries of defense, petroleum, mining, peace building, among other ministries,” he explained.

Tut disclosed that the parties agreed on the selections of their ministries, but did not give names. “Our nominees are ready but the opposition parties are yet to summit their nominees to President Kiir. The government is expected to be announced soon,” he explained.

For his part, Peter Mayen Majongdit, a leading member of the Other Political Parties (OPP) confirmed that the parties had agreed on the selections of their ministries. “I can confirm that we have agreed on the ministries but there is no any agreement on the states,” he said.

The OPP has been given the Humanitarian Affairs docket, he added.

The opposition official has called on the parties to delay negotiations on the contentious issue of states and form the transitional cabinet first. “I am of the view that it would be good if we form the cabinet first and delay the issue of states,” he stressed.

Majongdit accused the main parties to the peace agreement of delaying the formation of the transitional cabinet.

According to the agreement, the unity government consists of 35 ministries, which are to be split up between the group of President Salva Kiir, the SPLM-IO of Riek Machar, the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), the SPLM-FDs, and other political parties.

Kiir’s side will take 20 ministries, while Machar’s group will take nine ministries. The SSOA will take three ministries, the SPLM-FDs will be given two ministries and other political parties will get one ministry.