South Sudan president strips deputy of some powers

JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has withdrawn some powers from his vice president, officials said on Tuesday, clipping the wings of a likely challenger for the ruling party leadership.

Kiir, who has led the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) since 2005, also halted a national reconciliation initiative that had been launched by Riak Machar and which had been viewed as an attempt to raise his political profile.