afrol News, 28 December - Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) has finally accepted to rejoin the government of national unity. The former rebels pulled out of el-Bashir government on 11 October in protest.

Sixteen newly appointed government officials [3 Presidential Counsellors, 7 Ministers and 6 Ministers of State] took oath of office before President el-Bashir and Vice President Salva Kiir, who is also the leader of SPLM and President of South Sudan.

The new cabinet is without the former Foreign Minister, Lam Akol, who was accused of playing a major role in the political crisis between Khartoum government and SPLM. Akol was replaced by Deng Alor.

SPLM Secretary General, Pagan Amum, was among the newly sworn in ministers.

Kiir had announced a break off from a two-month deadlock with Khartoum and guaranteed the return of his movement to the unity government. The deadlock was triggered by the movement's protest over the deployment of government troops in some southern states and ownership of the oil-rich Abyei state.

SPLM quitted the unity government, accusing al-Bashir government of not respecting the 2005 comprehensive peace accord that nailed the two decade-long conflict between the North and South Sudan. The conflict claimed the lives of 1.5 million people as well as displaced several others.

President el-Bashir and Kiir had agreed on majority of the issues that fuelled the crisis, including the demarcation of the border between the North and South Sudan, funding for a 2011 census and the withdrawal of Sudan Armed Forces from some key southern regions.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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