The chairperson of the South Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) on Sunday appointed Oyet Nathaniel, the Deputy Speaker of the Revitalised Transitional Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA) as his deputy.

The position fell vacant in August 2021 after Henry Dilah Odwar, the former SPLM/A-IO deputy chairman, resigned from his position as mining minister and from the party and joined a rival group in the SPLM-IO led by General Simon Gatwech Dual.

Machar, also South Sudan’s First Vice President, appointed Martin Gamma Abucha as the chairperson of the National Committee for Education and Science and James Odhok Oyay as chairperson of the National Committee for Culture, Youth, and Sports.

Machar’s press secretary, Pouk Both Baluang confirmed the appointments which he said took effect immediately.