JUBA - Rival leaders in South Sudan have formed a transitional coalition government, in an attempt to end years of ruinous conflict that has killed almost 400,000 and forced millions from their homes.
Opposition leader Riek Machar was sworn in on Saturday in the capital, Juba, as the first deputy of President Salva Kiir a day after the previous government was dissolved.
"I do hereby swear that I shall be faithful and bear diligence to the Republic of South Sudan," Machar said in his oath in front of a room packed with diplomats and regional representatives, including Sudanese leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
Al Jazeera's Hiba Morgan, reporting from Juba, said war-weary South Sudanese are expecting the government to resolve a number of pressing challenges.
"The people on the streets are looking to this government to solve the issue of the economy - South Sudan is facing high inflation as a result of the years of conflict," Morgan said.
"There is also the issue of the humanitarian crisis; more than half of the country's 12 million population are in need of food aid to survive." (Aljazeera)