James Wani Igga

James Wani Igga (born 1949) is a South Sudanese politician who currently serves as the Vice President of South Sudan.[3] He was Speaker of the National Legislative Assembly from 2011 to 2013[4] and secretary general of the SPLM.[5] On 30 May 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19.[6]

James Wani Igga
1st Second Vice President of Sudan
Assumed office
21 February 2020[1]
PresidentSalva Kiir Mayardit
2nd Vice President of South Sudan
In office
25 August 2013 – 21 February 2020[1]
PresidentSalva Kiir Mayardit
Preceded byRiek Machar
Speaker of the National Legislative Assembly
In office
2011 – August 2013
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byManasseh Magok Rundial
Secretary General of the SPLM
Personal details
Born1949 (age 71–72)
Krillo,[2] Juba County, Central Equatoria, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (now South Sudan)
NationalitySouth Sudan
Political partySPLM
ResidenceLobonok, Central Equatoria
Alma materCairo
Military service
AllegianceSPLA (Torit)
RankZonal Commander
CommandsYei

Early life

Igga was born in 1949.[7] Igga is variously described to stem from the Bari[8] and Zande[9] ethnic groups and he is a Roman Catholic. He studied economics in Cairo.[8]

Civil war years

Igga joined the South Sudanese rebels in 1985, training in Cuba and Ethiopia. He rose through the SPLA ranks rapidly,[8] and by 1987 Igga had the rank of Major and commanded the Shakus Battalion.[10] The same year he served as Zonal Commander of Central Equatoria and as a member of the SPLA High Command.[11] Igga was reportedly well-respected among civilians.[12]

Igga was one of the SPLA's most senior representatives during negotiations with SPLA-Nasir. He represented Garang as the head of the SPLA-Torit delegation at peace talks in Nairobi in November 1991.[13] In 1993 Igga accompanied Garang to Nairobi for a peacemaking seminar in June 1993, and to Kampala for an IGAD-mediated dialog with the Nasir faction.[13] Igga had known Lam Akol, one of the Nasir leaders, since their time together in the Cuban training camp.[9]

As chairman of the SPLM Political Affairs Commission, Igga established the Technical Committee of Intellectuals in February 2000. This Committee was tasked with planning the civil administration of Southern Sudan.[14]

Postwar Politics

Following the 2005 signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement establishing the autonomy of Southern Sudan, Igga was in charge transitioning the SPLM from an insurgent strategic leadership to a political party. He was chosen as the speaker of Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly in 2005,[15] and he continued in that office until independence in 2011. In addition, Igga was appointed caretaker governor of Upper Nile State for the transition period.[14]

Igga read out the proclamation of independence when the Sudans divided.[8] Igga continued as the legislative speaker of the lower house from 2011 to 2013.[16]

President Salva Kiir appointed Igga as vice president on 23 August 2013 to replace Riek Machar, whom he had dismissed a month previously. He will be required to resign as speaker.[17] Igga was unanimously confirmed by the National Assembly on 26 August.[18]

On 19 August 2020, six of Igga's bodyguards were killed in a road ambush by NAS rebels in Igga's home town of Lobonok. However, Igga was not with those bodyguards at the time.[19]

References
  1. "President Kiir appoint Machar FVP ahead of South Sudan new cabinet - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan". sudantribune.com.
  2. "Who is James Wanni Igga?". Sudan Tribune. 25 August 2013.
  3. "James Wani Igga appointed South Sudan vice-president". BBC News. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  4. "SPLM maintains popularity in the whole country-Igga". Sudan Tribune. 23 December 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  5. Fisher, Jonah (20 April 2005). "Southern Sudan's frontline town". BBC News. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  6. "VP Igga tests positive for COVID-19". Radio Tamazuj. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  7. "Biography of H.E. Dr. James Wani Igga (PhD)". www.presidency.gov.ss.
  8. "South Sudan president names James Wani Igga as deputy: state radio". AFP. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  9. Sesana, Renato Kizito (2006). I am a Nuba. Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa. ISBN 9966081798.
  10. Wöndu, Steven (2011). From bush to Bush : journey to liberty in South Sudan. Nairobi, Kenya: Kenway Publications. ISBN 9966257942.
  11. Fardon, Richard; Furniss, Graham (2000). African broadcast cultures : radio in transition. Oxford: Currey [u.a.] ISBN 0275970604.
  12. Johnson, Douglas H. (2011). The root causes of Sudan's civil wars : peace or truce (Rev. ed.). Woodbridge, Suffolk: James Currey. ISBN 978-1847010292.
  13. Akol, Lam (2003). SPLM/SPLA : the Nasir Declaration. New York: iUniverse, Inc. ISBN 0595284590.
  14. Deng, Lual A. (2013). Power of creative reasoning : the ideas and vision of john garang. Bloomingdale, IN: iUnivers. ISBN 978-1475960280.
  15. Badiey, Naseem (2014). The State of Post-conflict Reconstruction: Land, Urban Development and State-building in Juba, Southern Sudan. ISBN 9781847010940.
  16. Johnson, Hilde F. (9 June 2016). South Sudan: The Untold Story from Independence to the Civil War. ISBN 9781786720054.
  17. "Kiir appoints speaker James Wani Igga as new vice-president". Sudan Tribune. 23 August 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  18. "S. Sudan lawmakers unanimously endorse Wani Igga as new VP". Sudan Tribune. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  19. "Six bodyguards of VP Igga killed in road ambush". Radio Tamazuj. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
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