Machar appointed South Sudan’s first vice president

February 11, 2016 (JUBA) — South Sudan rebel leader, Riek Machar was on Thursday appointed the country’s first vice president in accordance with last year’s peace accord.

In a decree, read on the state-owned SSTV Thursday, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir also appointed James Wani Igga as the county’s vice president.

The appointments, according to the presidential decree, were made in accordance to the 2015 peace agreement and powers given to Kiir by the 2011 Transitional Constitution.

The armed opposition is yet to comment on the latest development, but the regional bloc that mediated the talks, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), gave the peace parties up to the first week of February to form a Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU).

The presidential decree number 60 appointed Machar as the first vice president and decree number 59 relieved Igga from the position he previously held since August 2013.

Machar was removed from the vice presidency by President Kiir in July 2013.

Ten of thousands of people were killed and over two million displaced from their homes since disagreements within South Sudan’ ruling party triggered a violence in the country.

(ST)