Juba, South Sudan
March 24, 2022 — South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit fired the Minister of Health, Hon. Elizabeth Achuei, on Wednesday night through a republican decreed and named her replacement.
Achuei was appointed in March 2020 following the formation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGONU) through the SPLM/A-IO ticket, a decision that has been highly criticized both from within and outside the SPLM/A-IO.
In a decree readout on the state-run South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), President Salva Kiir without stating any reasons relieved Elizabeth Achuei as country’s Minister of Health.
In a separate decree, also readout on the state-own television, Kiir named Awel Deng, a lawmaker representing SPLM-IO in the peace parliament, as South Sudan’s new Minister of Health.
This comes at a time of tensions between the peace partners following the slow implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement and also a time of tension between the minister and some of the executives within the ministry of health.
On the other hand, the incoming minister of health, Hon. Awel Deng, is also serving currently as the Secretary-General of the SPLM-IO women league.
She was appointed last year as a member of the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly on the ticket of the SPLM-IO under Dr. Riek Machar Teny.
It’s the first time for the leadership of the SPLM-IO to reshuffle its ministers since the formation of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGONU) in 2020 despite criticisms.
The appointment of Elizabeth Achuei, who was considered to be underqualified, has been criticized by senior politicians like Awet Akot and others as Achuei seemed to be struggling performing her duties.
Like Achuei, the incoming minister lacks ministerial experience as she never served as a minister or in other senior positions before; however, she is considered to be better qualified for the position than her predecessor.
