South Sudan’s cabinet has moved to fill a governance vacuum following the detention and trial of suspended First Vice President Dr Riek Machar.
In an extraordinary meeting in Juba on Tuesday, President Salva Kiir, other vice presidents and ministers nominated the Vice President for Gender and Youth Affairs, Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, to chair the governance cluster in Dr Machar’s absence.
Dr Machar, a key figure in the 2018 peace agreement, was placed under house arrest in March 2025 amid rising political tensions. He now faces treason and other charges in a special court set up in Juba, with proceedings that began in September.
It is unclear when the trial will end. Proceedings are ongoing, with the court having heard testimony from five of the 16 witnesses listed by the prosecution.
The Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Dr Martin Elia Lomuro, told reporters the cabinet had resolved that Ms Nyandeng would also assume the governance cluster responsibilities.
Ms Nyandeng represents the Former Detainees group (FDs) under the peace deal, while Dr Machar leads the main opposition party, the SPLM-IO.
It is unclear why the cabinet acted now to address the gap left since March, as Dr Machar’s trial is expected to continue for some time.
Peace deal changes
The cabinet also discussed and passed critical resolutions, including amendments to the revitalised peace agreement.
These changes , Dr. Martin said, would separate the constitution-making process, census, and housing data from the transitional constitution. If endorsed, this would allow the government to use the 2011 Transitional Constitution as amended, and potentially pave the way for elections without a new census or permanent constitution.
The amendments now await endorsement by the peace monitoring body, the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), and passage by parliament.
However, it is uncertain whether the RJMEC, which includes several other stakeholders, will approve the changes. Concerns have been raised by allies of Dr Machar, and there appears to be a lack of consensus.
Other cabinet decisions
The Council of Ministers confirmed the establishment of a mechanism to enable the Finance Ministry to pay salary arrears to civil servants and organised forces.
It also discussed the need for the government to co-finance and protect a health sector transformation project, which is funded by the World Bank and other partners. Dr Lomuro noted that slow global financing was putting pressure on health facilities nationwide.
The cabinet, which resumed its activities last month after a nine-month suspension, also deliberated on several other memoranda presented by ministerial clusters on critical matters.