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JUBA - 28 Jul 2013

Top civil servant says South Sudan cabinet to form ‘very soon’

The highest ranking civil service official in South Sudan said on Friday that the president would form his cabinet toward the end of the weekend or early this week.

Secretary-General of the Government Abdoun Agau was the man that President Salva Kiir chose to oversee the entire government after dismissal of all the deputy ministers, ministers and vice president last Tuesday. All of the undersecretaries of the various ministries are now to report to him.

Abdoun made his remarks during a press conference at the presidency on Friday. He said that the dissolution of the government came as a result of pressure exerted on the president both at home and abroad by citizens and friends to reduce the size of the government in order to shift more resources toward actual delivery of services.

"The president has been under pressure both from the citizens of South Sudan and from friends in the international community, to try to do something about the size of our government. He has been under constant pressure to reduce the size of our government and make a lean one," said Abdoun.

He explained that the president after was now making wider consultation among party members and with the country's opposition parties before the formation of the new government.

"The president is now working on forming the new cabinet. I cannot tell you the exact date on which he will complete this, but at least I can you use the word very soon... very soon. Very soon may mean towards the end of this weekend, or this weekend, or early next week."

Kiir made his first cabinet appointment on Saturday night, picking Marial Benjamin, the former information minister, for the post of foreign affairs. All of the other ministries remain vacant.

Reporting by Radio Tamazuj

Photo: Secretary-General of the Government Abdoun Agau addressing a press conference on Friday, 26 July 2013 (Radio Tamazuj)