President Salva Kiir of South Sudan has appointed a new defense minister to replace Angelina Teny, whom he fired earlier this month.
Gen Chol Thon Balok’s appointment was announced in a presidential decree read on the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Wednesday night.
Gen Thon is a member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), the president’s party. He was deputy defense minister prior to his appointment.
Ms. Teny is a member of Vice President Riek Machar’s opposition party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO).
The two parties are members of a unity government formed after Mr Kiir and Mr Machar signed a peace agreement to end a six-year civil war.
The agreement divides cabinet positions between the parties.
According to the SPLM-IO, Mr. Kiir’s “unilateral” decision to effectively swap the defense and interior portfolios between the parties violates the agreement.
Mr. Kiir and Mr. Machar met a few weeks later to discuss Ms. Teny’s dismissal, but they were unable to reach an agreement.
They agreed to meet at a later time but have yet to do so.
The SPLM-IO has not issued an official statement on the latest appointment.
