South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has ordered the reestablishment of six ministerial positions, creating new top vacancies in the government.

The government in Juba provided no explanation for the order read out on Monday evening on the state broadcaster. Presumably the posts will be rewarded to loyalists or used in compromise with opponents.

The decree effectively reverses the Republican Order RSS/RO/J/14/2013, ‘Reduction and Restructuring of the Ministries of the National Government of the Republic of South Sudan,’ issued last year to merge or eliminate some ineffective ministries.

Last week political leaders told Radio Tamazuj that the president intended to reinstate the ministries, while downplaying reports of plans for a new interim government with opponents, excluding Riek Machar.

Under the new system, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs is created by splitting Defense and Veterans Affairs; and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment is created by splitting Finance, Commerce and Economic Planning.

The wildlife service is split from the Interior Ministry to form part of a new Ministry of Tourism and Wild Life Conservation; the Ministry of Labor is split from Labor, Public Service and Human Resource Development.

The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries is split from the Agriculture Ministry; and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management is split from the former Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare and Humanitarian Affairs.

These changes boost the number of ministries from 19 to 25. With two ministers in the Office of the President, there are now a total of 27 ministerial positions. 

File photo: The Ministry of Wildlife, Conservation and Tourism, Juba, South Sudan