Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel and Josephine Joseph Lagu have been officially sworn in as South Sudan’s new vice presidents, just two days after they were appointed by President Salva Kiir.
Their appointments come as part of a leadership shake-up affecting the country’s five vice presidents, a body established under the 2018 peace agreement. Those replaced include veteran politician James Wani Igga, who has held the position since 2013, and Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, the representative of the opposition alliance SSOA.
Akol has been reappointed as Minister of Agriculture, replacing Lagu, who now assumes the role of deputy head of the services cluster. Meanwhile, Bol Mel, who was previously a special presidential envoy, has replaced Igga as deputy head of the economic cluster.
During the swearing-in ceremony, President Kiir called on Bol Mel to lead economic reforms, stressing the importance of diversifying the economy and prioritizing agriculture to improve food security.
In his opening speech, Bol Mel expressed his gratitude to President Kiir and promised to work diligently to strengthen the economic situation of South Sudan, while Lagu pledged to serve the country diligently and contribute to the improvement of public services.