President Salva Kiir has reappointed Hussein Abdelbagi Akol as vice president for the service cluster, according to a presidential decree broadcast on the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday evening.
No official reason was given for the appointment. Abdelbagi
replaces Josephine Lagu Yanga, who had been serving in the role under the
power-sharing arrangement established by the 2018 peace agreement.
Abdelbagi previously held the vice-presidential position
before being reshuffled to serve as minister of agriculture in February 2025.
At that time, Josephine Lagu was moved from her role as agriculture minister
and appointed vice president, replacing Abdelbagi.
Under the peace agreement, the vice president in charge of
the service cluster is allocated to the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA),
one of the signatories to the 2018 deal.
The agreement grants the president authority to appoint and
dismiss officials within the transitional government framework, though changes
involving opposition party nominees typically require consultation with the
respective coalition.
South Sudan has five vice presidents under the 2018 accord aimed at ending the civil war.
