President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar shake hands after their meeting in Juba, South Sudan October 19, 2019 - Courtesy

President Salva Kiir and his first deputy Dr. Riek Machar will on Monday hold a meeting on the dismissal of the Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs and the swapping of ministries, according to an official source.

This is according to Puok Both Baluang, the Acting Press Secretary of Dr. Riek Machar.

“We have been informed that there is a planned meeting between the president and the first vice president to discuss the recent violation of the agreement; the republican decrees issued by the president on the 3rd of March which unilaterally removed the Minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs and the Republican Order swapping the ministries of defense with the interior. The meeting will be on Monday,” says Baluang.

Machar’s aid also said the emergency meeting at the presidency level will try to break the latest deadlock, a month after Pope Francis plead with the unity government to restore lasting peace in the country.

On Friday evening, President Kiir, through a Republican Decree, removed Minister Angelina Teny and transferred the Defence ministry to his party.

He also fired Interior Minister General Mahmoud Solomon and handed the Interior Ministry to the SPLM-IO.

However, Machar’s camp condemned the reshuffle and called for the revocation of the removal and switching of ministries.

Press Secretary Baluang said the republican decrees are unilateral and a violation of Chapter One of the 2018 peace deal.