Angelina Teny

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In the April 2010 elections Teny broke from her party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, and ran as an independent candidate for Governor of Unity State. Her main challenger was the incumbent governor Taban Deng Gai. Early reports showed she was leading by a wide margin against the other six contestants. [4]

The state electoral body announced that Taban Deng Gai won by 137,662 votes, beating Teny with 63,561 votes. The defeated parties said in a joint statement that there had been wide spread rigging and called for a review by the National Elections Commission. Angelina Teny said she would not accept or recognize the results. [8] Teny detailed many irregularities, including ejection of observers, missing ballot boxes, vote counts in excess of the number of registered voters and so on. [9] Her campaign leader was arrested when he and members of his team tried to enter the State High Elections Committee's office. [10] Teny called on her supporters to be calm and avoid violence, which has been epidemic in Unity State, the main oil-producing area in South Sudan. [11]

The Unity State governor Taban Deng later accused Teny and SPLM-DC Chairman Lam Akol of supporting Colonel Galwak Gai, who led a mutiny against the SPLM Army after the elections. Edward Lino, a member of the SPLM leadership, allegedly accused her of supporting insurgency in Unity State. In response, Angelina Teny said that she was filing a lawsuit against Edward Lino. [12] Teny was said to have promised to appoint Gai as a county commissioner if she won the election, and he rebelled when he failed to obtain this position. [13]

Post-independence career

Teny was appointed adviser on petroleum matters to the cabinet of South Sudan's Energy and Mines Ministry, and was the leader of negotiations with the Khartoum government over ownership and management of oil assets. While attending an energy conference in Ghana in September 2011 she spoke on the state of the oil industry in South Sudan after two months of full independence. She said that management of oil resources was largely though not entirely being handled from the Sudan, and South Sudan was in control of most of its oil fields.Those fields that are producing had output of about 300,000 barrels per day. [14]

Teny said the government had created the outline of a 3-year program to develop infrastructure. This included construction of an oil refinery to meet domestic needs. A new law to regulate the industry was almost ready to be published. South Sudan urgently needed capital to meet Millennium Development Goals and to build roads and pipelines. She said the oil companies were talking to the government which was reviewing existing contracts. More information was needed for Juba to be able to assess reserves. [14]

On 26 March 2025, Teny, by then the interior minister, was arrested along with her husband, Vice President Riek Machar, at their residence in Juba. [15] The South Sudanese government denied that she was being detained in a statement days later, saying that she was performing her duties normally. [16]

Personal life

Teny is married to Riek Machar, the first Vice President of South Sudan. They have four children. [17]

References

  1. Malak, Garang (12 March 2020). "South Sudan: President Salva Kiir Names Full Cabinet". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  2. "Unity state's Angelina Teny refutes explanation on Bentiu stadium incident". Sudan Tribune. 19 March 2010. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  3. "South Sudan Women's Conference – 'The House of Nationalities'". The House of Nationalities. 24–27 November 2003. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  4. 1 2 "Unity state's Angelina Teny leads in preliminary gubernatorial election results". Sudan Tribune. 16 April 2010. Archived from the original on 29 October 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  5. 1 2 "Oil and the Future of Sudan: Conference Report". 1–2 November 2006. Retrieved 23 October 2011.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. Scott Baldauf (7 September 2009). "Is Sudan sharing its oil wealth properly?". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  7. Abdul Nabi Shaheen (20 October 2007). "North Sudan 'not involving South' in oil strategies". Gulf News. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  8. "Angelina Teny says will not accept "rigged" and "untrue" election results". Sudan Tribune. 25 April 2010. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  9. "Angelina Teny Accuses SPLM of not Abiding by Electoral Process Safety Procedures". Sudan Vision. 20 April 2010. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  10. "Angelina Teny's campaign team leader arrested in Unity State". Sudan Tribune. 22 April 2010. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  11. "Losing candidate in south Sudan slams rivals". Yahoo News. 24 April 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  12. "Angelina Teny Files Law Suit against Edward Lino". Sudan Vision. 12 June 2010. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  13. Bonifacio Taban Kuich (8 June 2011). "Unity State Governor Briefs UNMIS Chief On Peace Talks". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  14. 1 2 Kwasi Kpodo; Clair Macdougall (22 September 2011). "South Sudan seeks funds to develop oil assets". Reuters. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  15. "VP's arrest ends South Sudan peace deal, his party says". BBC . 27 March 2025. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  16. "South Sudan Government disputes Odinga's remarks on Dr. Machar's status". Radio Tamazuj. 31 March 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  17. "Energy Minister Declares Interest In Unity Governorship Seat". Gurtong. 26 January 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
Angelina Teny
Angelina Teny VOA (cropped).jpg
Teny in 2016
South Sudanese Minister of Internal Affairs
Assumed office
2023