South Sudan President Salva Kiir has appointed a member from his party as the Minister of Defense, violating the peace agreement that stipulates the opposition leader Riek Machar's party should choose the office holder. This month, Kiir dismissed Defense Minister Angelina Teny, along with the Interior Minister, reigniting long-standing disputes over power-sharing among veteran combatants.
The implementation of the agreement has been slow, and waves of fighting have led to the killing and displacement of large numbers of civilians. Riek Machar's spokesperson, Puok Bouth Baluang, confirmed that "the appointment of Shoul Tong as Minister of Defense was unilateral and represents a new violation of the peace agreement," demanding Teny be reinstated.
Policy analyst at the Institute for Social Policy and Research, Bobuya James, suggested that the deadlock is paralyzing the implementation of the peace agreement, which is supposed to lead to national elections by the end of 2024.
