South Sudan’s President Appoints Rival Leader As Transport Minister

 Deborah Akur Chol, South Sudan

In a significant political shift, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has appointed prominent opposition figure Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, as the new transport minister, a move announced on Wednesday, that highlights ongoing changes in the transitional unity government established under the 2018 peace agreement.

This appointment marks Dr. Akol’s first ministerial role since the formation of the unity government in February 2020.

The news was shared through the state-operated South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), amidst rising political tensions and challenges within the power-sharing framework outlined in the 2018 peace deal.

Dr. Akol, who has been a notable critic of the government, was previously expected to be named as one of South Sudan’s five vice presidents when the unity government was first formed. Instead, President Kiir opted for Hussein Abdelbagi, who has since been removed from his vice presidential position and assigned to the agriculture minister role.

As the leader of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), a party he founded in 2016 aimed at contesting President Kiir’s leadership, Dr. Akol has maintained a significant presence in South Sudan’s political landscape. He has a history of government service, having briefly held the position of agriculture minister before resigning in 2016 following clashes in Juba that disrupted a previous peace agreement.

Originally from Upper Nile State, Dr. Akol has had a long and storied political career, previously leading the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-Democratic Change (SPLM-DC), a faction he established after parting ways with the SPLM in 2009. His political experience dates back to before South Sudan’s independence, where he served as Sudan’s foreign minister and ran against President Kiir in the 2010 presidential election.

Political observer Ter Manyang expressed optimism over Dr. Akol’s appointment while also raising concerns regarding the selection of the transport ministry instead of the expected role of minister of higher education, which is allocated to the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) in the power-sharing agreement.

“The appointment is a positive development but the choice of portfolio is questionable,” Manyang commented. He noted potential divisions within the SSOA, particularly between factions loyal to Hussein Abdelbagi and Dr. Akol, which could lead to complications. “Unless prior consultations took place, there may be grievances,” he cautioned.

In related developments, President Kiir dismissed Gabriel Changson Chang from the position of higher education minister and appointed Madut Biar Yel as his successor. This change substitutes Changson, who was appointed under the SSOA quota, with Yel, who represents the Former Detainees (FDs), another entity involved in the 2018 peace agreement.

Additionally, Kiir has replaced Kuol Deng Kuol as defense undersecretary, appointing his brother-in-law, Gregory Deng Kuac. Gregory previously held the position of deputy director general of the National Security Service’s general intelligence bureau.