Deng Deng Akon | |
---|---|
Speaker of the Council of States | |
Assumed office 2 August 2021 | |
Preceded by | Joseph Bol Chan |
Personal details | |
Born | December 15th 1964 MarialBai, Aweil West County |
Political party | SPLM-IO |
Deng Deng Akon (born December 1964), is a South Sudanese politician and a member of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition. He was elected as Speaker of the House for the Council of States on 2 August 2021. [1]
Deng was born on 15 December 1964, in MarialBai, Aweil West County of NBG.[ citation needed]
In February 2013, Akon was included on the list of officers from the Sudan People's Liberation Army to be placed on reserve status. He held the rank of Brigadier-General at the time. [2]
In December 2013, Akon was detained along with ten other members of the ruling party, the SPLM, after a failed coup. He was released on 27 December 2013 alongside the ex-minister for higher education, Peter Adwok Nyaba. Akon had formerly served as director in the previous Vice President's office. [3]
In 2020, he was a member of the Cabinet of South Sudan. [4] He was dismissed from the cabinet in July 2021, along with all serving members at the time. [5] On 2 August 2021, he was sworn in as the Speaker for the Council of States alongside the entirety of the Parliament. [6] He urged the separation of powers and adherence to the constitution in an address to the governors and chief administrators of each state at the governor's forum on 22 November 2021. [7]
In August 2022, the Mayom County Commissioner was summarily executed. [8] The Council of States then passed a vote of no confidence in Unity State Governor Dr. Joseph Monytuil. Akon, as the Speaker, received a letter dated 25 August 2022 that the Council was not permitted to pass that vote and would only be able to censure Monytuil with a three-quarter majority of the combined parliament. [9]