The United Nations warned South Sudan's President Salva Kiir on Tuesday that any political appointments must be consistent with a peace deal that ended nearly two years of civil war after Kiir replaced his vice president and rival Riek Machar, according to Reuters. Machar left the South Sudanese capital Juba earlier this month after an eruption of violence in the city when forces loyal to Kiir and Machar battled each other for several days with tanks, helicopters and other heavy weapons. An August peace agreement states that the vice president must be chosen by the South Sudan Armed Opposition. However, Kiir replaced Machar on Monday with General Tabal Deng Gai, a former chief opposition negotiator who has broken ranks with Machar. "Any political appointments need to be consistent with the provisions outlined in the peace agreement," U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters in New York on Tuesday. Kiir's appointment of Deng Gai - a former minister of mining - came after Kiir issued an ultimatum last week, demanding that Machar contact him within 48 hours and return to Juba to salvage the peace deal, or face replacement.
