Nhial Deng served as Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2017, while Awut Deng has previously held the position of Minister of Gender, Child & Social Welfare from 2015

President Salva Kiir has made a mini-reshuffle of his cabinet, placing a woman -for the first time -in the foreign relations portfolio.

In series of decrees issued on Monday evening, Kiir made the following changes:

He relieved Nhial Deng Nhial, who only held the position for a year after taking over from Deng Alor Kuol last year.

Kiir also relieved Awut Deng Achuil from being the Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare and appointed her as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs.

This is the first time a woman has held this position in South Sudan since 2005.

Kiir further relieved Rebecca Joshua Okwaci from the Ministry of Roads and Bridges.

Ms Okwaci was appointed in 2015 as part of the cabinet that formed the Kiir-Riek Machar’s Transitional Government of National Unity -as per the August 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.

She has been replaced by an academician, Simon Mijok Mijak.

In another decree announced on the state television, SSBC, the President relieved Jemma Nunu Kumba from being the Minister of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism and appointed Alfred Akuoch Omoli as her replacement.

Jemma has held that position since 2015. She was however given a new ministry; Gender, Child and Social Welfare -as a replacement for Awut Deng.

In other decrees, Kiir relieved Atem Madut Yak as Governor of Twic State and appointed Jacob Madhol Lang as his replacement.

He also appointed Timothy Taban Juch as the new governor of Akobo State. Taban replaced the late governor of Akobo, General Gony Biliu.

Gony died on 5th July 2019 in Ankara, Turkey.