South Sudan Cabinet Assigns Governance Cluster to Nyandeng as Machar's Trial Continues

South Sudan Cabinet Assigns Governance Cluster to Nyandeng as Machar’s Trial Continues
Juba, 24 December 2025
South Sudan’s Council of Ministers has appointed Vice President for Gender and Youth Affairs Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior to lead the governance cluster in the continued absence of First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny, who remains under house arrest and is currently on trial in Juba.
The decision was reached during an extraordinary cabinet meeting on Tuesday, chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit. According to officials, the move is intended to maintain the functionality of the Executive while legal proceedings involving Dr. Machar continue.
Dr. Machar, a principal signatory to the 2018 peace agreement and leader of the SPLM‑IO, was detained in March 2025 amid heightened political tensions. His trial, which opened in September before a special court in Juba, includes charges of treason and related offenses. The court has so far heard testimony from five of the sixteen witnesses presented by the prosecution, and no timeline has been announced for the trial’s conclusion.
The appointment of Ms. Nyandeng, who represents the Former Detainees (FDs) under the peace agreement, aligns with Article 1.7.4 of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R‑ARCSS). The provision states that in the temporary absence of the First Vice President, duties shall be delegated to one of the other vice presidents. It remains unclear why the Cabinet chose to make the adjustment at this stage, several months after Dr. Machar’s detention.
Cabinet Advances Amendments Related to Peace Agreement Implementation
The Council of Ministers also approved proposed amendments to elements of the revitalized peace agreement. According to Minister of Cabinet Affairs Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro, the revisions would separate the constitution‑making process, national census, and housing and population data from the Transitional Constitution.
If adopted, the amendments would allow the government to proceed with upcoming elections using the 2011 Transitional Constitution (as amended) rather than waiting for a permanent constitution or updated census results. The proposed changes will require endorsement by the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) and subsequent approval by the national parliament.
However, uncertainty remains over whether the RJMEC—comprising representatives from multiple stakeholder groups—will support the changes. Allies of Dr. Machar have expressed concerns, indicating that consensus within the peace partnership may not yet be achieved.
Other Decisions: Salary Arrears and Health Sector Support
The Cabinet further confirmed the establishment of a mechanism enabling the Ministry of Finance to begin settling salary arrears owed to civil servants and organized forces. No specific disbursement timeline was announced, though officials described the mechanism as a priority measure.
Additionally, ministers discussed the status of the Health Sector Transformation Project, which is funded by the World Bank and international partners. Dr. Lomuro noted that declining global financing has placed strain on health facilities nationwide, underscoring the importance of government co‑financing to sustain service delivery.
The Cabinet resumed its activities last month following a nine‑month suspension and continues to deliberate on a range of memoranda from ministerial clusters concerning critical national matters.