Presidential advisor Garang deposed by party

South Sudan’s presidential advisor Dr. Costello Garang Riiny Lual has been ousted as head of his party and its armed forces, say rival leaders who accused the veteran politician of abandoning the party principles.

Garang, the Chairman of South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM), a member of South Sudanese opposition alliance (SSOA) participating in the transitional government, was deposed following a gathering of senior SSPM leaders in Juba on Saturday, a group of party leaders said in a statement sent to Radio Tamazuj.

Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, the Vice-President for the Services Cluster, was declared interim leader of the movement.

It remains unclear what the putsch means for Garang, a veteran politician who has held numerous positions in the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) since the movement’s formation in 1983.

The leaders accused Garang of failing to cooperate with the entire party membership, saying the party leader was deposed per Article 27 (2) B&C).

“The National Leadership Council (NLC) resolved to confirm Hussein Abdelbagi Akol Agany as the interim Chairperson of SSPM/A until the convention of the movement takes place,” the statement said.

“Subsequently, the National Leadership Council (NLC) resolved to confirm Joseph Abdallah Sudani as Interim Deputy Chairperson and Abdelrahim Albino Daniel as Interim Secretary General,” the statement added.

Garang rejects

For his part, Presidential Advisor Costello Garang issued a separate statement Saturday rejecting the move to kick him out of the party, a sign of political tensions that could put pressure on the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA).

“Today, November 23, 2024, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, the Acting Deputy Chairman of South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM), along with a group of individuals he gathered from the streets, falsely claimed to have dismissed the Chairman of the party. I want to reaffirm that I remain the legitimate Chairman of SSPM, recognized by the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA),” the statement said.

Garang further said Hussein was facing a “leadership crisis within SSOA after failing to fulfil his responsibilities for the past four years and subsequently abandoning SSOA.”

“I want to reassure the public and our supporters that I remain the sole Chairman of SSPM and Deputy Chairperson of SSOA and that the party remains steadfast within SSOA. Effectively today, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol is suspended from SSPM on charges of insubordination, pending an investigation. The party will determine his fate in the coming days in accordance with our constitution,” it concluded.

South Sudan is governed by a transitional government created after a 2018 peace agreement between President Salva Kiir, opposition leader Riek Machar and other political figures.

The transition period was meant to conclude with elections in December this year, but the government has failed to meet core provisions of the 2018 deal, including drafting a constitution.

In September, the unity government approved a two-year extension of the transitional period.

The extension shifts the end of the transitional period from February 2025 to February 2027 and moves the scheduled elections from December 2024 to December 2026.

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