South Sudan Peace Deal Under Threat?

When the country's President Salva Kiir made changes to the Cabinet, most South Sudanese just took it as one of the many decrees from the head of state usually read out on state television.

But opposition leader in Juba's transitional unity government Riek Machar says Kiir's firing of Defense Minister Angelina Teny was a violation of the 2018 peace deal that ended South Sudan's civil war. Teny is also Machar's wife.

"Bringing peace in South Sudan is not a one-man show," Puok Baluang, press secretary in Marchar's office, said. "It is a collective effort of all South Sudanese and parties. We look forward to seeing a positive response from the president to revoke the decree and the presidential order and to commit himself, and his party, to the implementation of the peace agreement in letter and spirit."

The term of the current unity government was originally set to expire in 2022. Last year, all parties to the agreement extended the mandate by a further two years until December 2024, when the country is set to hold its first general election.