South Sudan forms new cabinet

South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit announced the line-up of a new cabinet one month after the official declaration of the region's independence, South Sudan 's government said on its website Saturday. The new cabinet would replace the current caretaker government that has administered South Sudan since its independence last month. The line-up published on the website showed that the new cabinet is composed of 29 ministries, including finance, foreign affairs and energy. The most prominent names in the list of ministers are Deng Alor for cabinet affairs, Nhial Deng Nhial for foreign affairs and international cooperation, Kosti Manibe Ngai for finance and economic planning, and Agnes Poni Lokudu for transport. Some ministries, such as the ministry of peace, were cancelled, while others such as commerce, industry and investment were merged into one ministry and so were the ministries of culture, youths and sports. The ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) assumed most of the seats in the new government, but many other southern Sudan political parties have been involved including the National Congress Party (NCP), which has been given the ministry of transport. South Sudan was officially declared independent on July 9, 2011, according to the results of a January referendum held under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) inked between north and south Sudan in 2005.