VP Nyandeng assumes interim governance role amid Machar suspension

JUBA — South Sudan’s Vice President for Gender and Youth Cluster, Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, has temporarily assumed the role of Vice President for Governance Cluster following the detention and suspension of First Vice President Riek Machar.

In December 2025, the Council of Ministers endorsed Nyandeng to take over the role on an interim basis, a decision that has reignited debate over power-sharing arrangements under the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.

The decision was reached during an extraordinary cabinet meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir, as the government sought to fill the leadership vacuum created by Machar’s absence while he faces an ongoing criminal trial.

As part of her new responsibilities, Nyandeng held a meeting with the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Dr. Martin Elia Lomuro, to discuss operational arrangements within the Governance Cluster.

According to a statement from the Vice President’s press unit issued on Thursday, the discussion focused on coordination mechanisms, ongoing administrative processes, key policy instruments under review, and broader governance and public administration matters affecting the country.

The engagement underscored the importance of clear decision-making, effective coordination, and collaboration among government institutions to advance national priorities and improve service delivery to the people of South Sudan.

Nyandeng reaffirmed her commitment to working in good faith, promoting cooperation, and ensuring continuity in government responsibilities during the transitional period.

Machar, who also leads the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–In Opposition (SPLM-IO), has been suspended from his duties as First Vice President while standing trial on charges including murder, treason, and crimes against humanity related to the March 2025 Nasir garrison incident. The case has so far gone through at least 36 court sessions.

His suspension has generated political sensitivity, as the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) explicitly allocates the position of First Vice President to the SPLM-IO.

Under Chapter I of the agreement, which outlines the structure of the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity, the First Vice President is to be nominated by the SPLM-IO, anchoring the position to the party rather than to an individual appointment at the discretion of the presidency.

As a result, Machar’s suspension and the cabinet’s interim arrangement remain closely watched, since any permanent reassignment of the role outside the SPLM-IO would require either a formal amendment to the peace agreement or a nomination by the party itself.

The Governance Cluster, which Machar chairs under the agreement, is a central pillar of the transitional government. It oversees reforms in public administration, the rule of law, institutional restructuring, and the coordination of key peace agreement benchmarks, including constitutional reforms, the unification of forces, and preparations for national elections.