By Yiep Joseph
The Cabinet has endorsed Vice President Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior to temporarily coordinates activities of the governance cluster.
This particular cluster was headed by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar before his suspension from the position in September 2025.
After suspension, Dr. Machar appeared before the special court with the other seven accused in the ongoing court case.
The charges on Dr. Machar and the other accused include murder, treason, and crimes against humanity linked to the March 2025 Nasir garrison incident.
As the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO), a main signatory to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS), various stakeholders have continued to call for his release.
The decision to endorse VP Nyandeng to temporarily head the governance cluster was reached on Tuesday during an extraordinary session of cabinet meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir.
Addressing media after the meeting, Martin Elia Lomuro, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, revealed the extra task to VP Nyandeng as one of the resolutions reached.
He added that the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, which he heads, will also support VP Nyandeng in handling the governance cluster.
VP Nyandeng, who is the late Dr. John Garang’s wife, was appointed through the ticket of Former Detainees (FD), a party signatory to the 2018 peace agreement.
According to the new task, Dr. Elia expressed that VP Nyandeng will chair the governance cluster meeting in the absence of Dr. Machar.
“With regard to the governance cluster, in the absence of the First Vice President, the Council resolved that the Vice President for the Gender and Youth Cluster should chair the governance cluster, with the support of the Minister of Cabinet Affairs,” Elia said.
The Cabinet Minister expressed that the decision is to fill the gap in governance with hope to speed up the implementation of the peace agreement as the country heads to election.
The decision came at a time when parties to the peace agreement have agreed to speed up the pending tasks in the peace agreement and ensure that there are no more extensions.
Dr. Elia added that the cabinet also discussed the amendment of the peace agreement.
“We also have a very important resolution on the amendment of the revitalized agreement on the resolution of conflict in the Republic of South Sudan delinking the constitution-making process and national census and housing data, delinking it from the agreement so that we can now have an amended institution to allow us to use the current transitional constitution of the Republic of South Sudan 2011 amended,” he explained.
Under Chapter I of the agreement, which governs the structure of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity, the executive arrangement provides that the First Vice President is to be nominated by the SPLM-IO, anchoring the post to the party rather than to an individual appointment at the discretion of the presidency.
The governance cluster, which Machar chairs under the agreement oversees reforms in public administration, rule of law, institutional restructuring, and coordination of key peace agreement benchmarks, including constitutional reforms, the unification of forces, and preparations for national elections.
However, the Executive Director for Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) urged the parties to the peace agreement to always consult one another to avoid misunderstanding.
Activist Yakani called for consultation among the parties during such decisions.
“As civil society, we appeal for inclusive dialogue among the party’s signatories to the 2018 peace agreement; any decision should be by consensus among the parties,” he said.
In his part, Ter Manyang Gatwech, a human rights activist, called on the cabinet to reverse the decision, adding that it is against the agreement.
“I urge the Council of Ministers to reconsider their decision in the interest of peace, stability, and respect for the peace agreement,” Manyang said.
He added that Dr. Machar may have more knowledge, as he has been mandated by the agreement to oversee the governance cluster.