In what may be considered as a major step forward in South Sudan’s effort to return to stability, President Salva Kiir in a televised statement on Thursday, announced a republican decree appointing to the would-be transitional parliament 50 additional members drawn from the armed opposition faction led by former vice-president, Riek Machar. This as the AU appointed Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission, which is overseeing implementation of the peace deal, made public the political agreement on the establishment of a transitional unity government.
The unity government, which will last three years before new elections, will have 30 ministries in total. Sixteen go to Kiir’s side, 10 to Machar’s, and two each to the former detainees and the opposition parties.
The ministries of finance, defense, justice, and information are among the key ministries that will go to loyalists of President Salva Kiir.
Ministries under President Kiir include; Finance, Defense, Justice and Information ministry
While the rebels under former Vice President Riek Machar, who is slated to retake his post in the transitional government, picked the infleuntial petroleum and interior ministries among others in the oil-rich country
Ministries under Riek Machar include Miscellaneous Ministries, Foreign and Cabinet Affairs
Analysts lauded the progress but warned that many of key issues in the peace agreement have not been addressed. The UN says tens of thousands have been killed in the civil war, and more than two million people have fled their homes.
