South Sudan names state governors for unity government

JUBA, South Sudan

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir announced eight state governors Monday for the transitional coalition government formed four months back in line with a revitalized peace agreement reached in 2018.

The appointments came after months of disagreement which the diplomatic community and civil society said had led to an escalation of inter-communal conflicts in some states due to the absence of governors.

According to a decree read on state-run South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, Kiir’s camp has six states under the state power-sharing arrangement.

They include the oil-producing Unity State, where Joseph Monytuil has been appointed, and Central Equatoria State, where Emmanuel Adil Wani is now governor.

First Vice President Riek Machar’s party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), has three states, including Upper Nile state, where the appointment of a governor is still pending.

Machar’s side was given the oil-rich state, which they had long sought.

The South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) has been given the state of Jonglei, where a governor has also yet to be appointed.

South Sudan’s rival leaders officially started the process of forming a transitional coalition government in late February.

The new structure was formed in accordance with a peace deal agreed in September 2018.

Under the deal, Kiir has five vice presidents, with former opposition leader Machar as first vice president.

The crisis caused by the political rivalry between Kiir and Machar began in 2013, plunging the country into civil war.

The conflict left nearly 400,000 people dead and four million others displaced and slashed crude oil production, leading to economic ruin.

It ended in 2018 with the signing of the peace agreement and formation of a unity government in 2020.