Meet South Sudan’s first female defense minister, Angelina Teny

In the past few decades, there has been criticism against African nations for not giving  women positions of prominence. 

However, in the last decade, there has been a rise in the appointment of females as top officials in government and private organizations. These have got social media busy with a plethora of comments.

That which has been the subject of discussion as Angelina Teny, is now Sudan’s defense minister, and also the first woman to assume that position.

Ms. Teny, who is officially the wife to the ex-rebel leader and now first Vice-President Riek Machar, is not new to the security position.

During the time where her husband was placed under effective house arrest, first in South Africa and then Khartoum, she has been one of the opposition SPLM-IO’s chief negotiators that led the group’s National Committee for Security and Defence.

The South Sudan’s first female defence minister has been regarded as a  straight-talker and quick-thinker who has been active as one of the country’s most important politicians.

Prior to her appointment, she has served as state minister for energy and mining. Also, after independence from Sudan, she led negotiations between the both countries on how to share lucrative and contested oil assets.

Since her appointment, she has spent 17 months in the capital, Juba, after the signing of the recent peace deal working out security arrangements on how the rebels and government forces could be merged.

Although, ever since she was appointed, some have questioned her pedigree to be defense minister.

The fact however remains that, Africans are beginning to leave their shadow behind to forge another better deal for themselves. With the rise, some are of the opinion that African countries would soon start producing world leaders from all roots.