South Sudan’s President Dismisses Political Rival’s Wife

By DENG MACHOL

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudan’s president has dismissed the defense minister who is the wife of his longtime political rival, Riek Machar.

Machar’s office said it occurred without consultations.

President Salva Kiir on Friday issued a decree removing Defense Minister Angelina Teny from office. She is a leading member of the opposition SPLM-IO that is a principal party to the 2018 peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war.

The president also removed the interior minister, who is a member of his own party. No reasons were cited for the firings.

According to the terms of the peace deal, the ministry of defense is to be led by Machar’s party and the interior ministry by Kiir’s.

Puok Both Baluang, a spokesman for Machar, in a Facebook post called the president’s move a violation of the agreement.

Implementation of the deal has been slow, and the country’s first-ever elections since independence from Sudan have been delayed until the end of 2024.