News
South Sudan president suspends Vice President in massive re-shuffle to combat creeping corruption
“Undersecretaries of the ministries will be taking charge in the absence of the ministers until the time that he will form the next government.”
While Juba – the capital, has been rife with rumors in recent weeks about a potential reshuffle by Kiir — the move still took those involved by surprise.
“I’ve been told that this was announced on the national South Sudan television,” Amum told AFP, who previously led long running negotiations with Sudan at African Union mediated talks over a raft of issues left unresolved at independence.
“I understand, from the phone calls I have had, that I am suspended because of a number of reasons,” he added, without giving further details.
Last month, corruption probes were launched into finance minister Kosti Manibe and cabinet affairs minister Deng Alor, powerful leaders of the young nation. Dozens of generals have also been relieved of their positions in the past year.
Oil-rich but war-ravaged South Sudan, which gained formal independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011, has been one of the poorest countries on the continent. It was left in ruins after five decades of conflict between southern rebels and successive governments in Sudan, with South Sudan now working towards nation building and healing a society scarred by war.
Source: AFP
