South Sudan’s president sacks 3 ministers

By Benjamin Takpiny

JUBA, South Sudan (AA) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir Mayardit sacked three ministers Monday in his latest Cabinet reshuffle.

In the first decree read out on the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), Kiir sacked the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Ruben Madol Arol, replacing him with Wek Mamer Kuol.

In another decree, Awut Deng Acuil, the Minister of General Education and Instruction, was also dismissed. Kiir appointed Kuyok Abol Kuyok as her replacement.

In a third decree, Kiir dismissed Joseph Mum Majak, the minister of trade and Industry, and replaced him with Atong Kuol Manyang, the former deputy governor of Jonglei State, who was also dismissed in a previous decree.

No reasons were given for the dismissals.

The oil-rich nation became the world's newest country in 2011 after seceding from Sudan, but it was then engulfed by civil war after Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar fell out.

A 2018 power-sharing agreement has been fraught with problems.

The peace deal gives the president the prerogative to appoint and dismiss government officials at both the national and state levels.

He can only appoint and dismiss officials who belong to other political parties with the consent of the leadership of those parties.