South Sudan’s rebel leader appoints more officials

Pretoria/Juba, December 21, 2016 (SSNA) — South Sudanese former vice president and rebel leader Dr. Riek Machar has appointed more senior officials to senior SPLM-IO leadership positions, document extended to the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) has revealed. The new appointees will service in various senior level capacities.

The new promotions came three weeks after the rebel leader appointed three people to top leadership posts.

In his order, Machar appointed Dak Duop Bichiok Chairman of the SPLM-IO National Committee for Energy and Mining, Goi Jooyul Yol as Chairperson of National Committee for education, Science, and Technology, and Peter Marcello Nasir as Chairperson of National Committee for Public service and Human Resource Development.

Other appointments include Pasquale Clement Batall as deputy Chairperson of National Committee for foreign Relations, and Deng Deng Akon as Deputy Chairperson of National Committee for Governance Affairs.

Early this month, the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) appointed Henry L. Odwar as Deputy Chairman and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the armed opposition, Tingo Peter Regbigo as Secretary General of the SPLM-IO, and and Stephen Par Kuol as Chairman of the National Committee of Foreign Relations.

A senior rebel official told the SSNA in early December that people should expect to see more appointments as the armed movement is preparing for what he described as “all options.”

Machar fled Juba in July after South Sudan’s government tried to assassinate him. South Sudanese president salva Kiir later replaced him with Taban Deng Gai as the First Vice President. The SPLM-IO says Gai made a deal with kiir to kill Dr. Machar because he was denied petroleum minister position.