South Sudan's caretaker government has appointed acting ministers to oversee ministries left vacant following the dissolution of the transitional administration.
South Sudan's caretaker government has assigned acting ministers to national ministries that currently lack caretaker ministers, aiming to ensure continued supervision. Caretaker Minister of Cabinet Affairs Martin Elia Lomuro issued Ministerial Order No. AM-01/2026 on Tuesday, October 20, assigning responsibilities across governance, economic, service, and gender and youth clusters. The order directs under-secretaries to manage daily administration under the supervision of these acting ministers, emphasizing that under-secretaries are civil servants and cannot exercise ministerial powers.
The appointments follow President Salva Kiir's dissolution of the transitional government on September 22 and the establishment of a caretaker administration. The order details numerous cross-assignments, for example, the minister of Cabinet Affairs will act for Presidential Affairs, while the minister of Petroleum will act for Finance and Planning. Several second-alternate positions remain to be determined, and the order takes effect immediately until amended or revoked.
Under-secretaries are instructed to recognize the authority of their assigned acting ministers and implement the order, with non-compliance potentially leading to disciplinary consequences. The order aims to maintain administrative continuity amid preparations for elections scheduled for December 22, though concerns exist about the progress of these preparations.
Why it mattersThe appointments ensure administrative continuity in government ministries, impacting the functioning of state institutions.
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