Aweil East County Commissioner Garang Thiang Deng, who also serves as the interim SPLM chairperson in the county, issued Order No. 001/2026 on 26 June suspending the county SPLM Youth League chairperson, Santino Akec Dhel, with immediate effect.
The order, which circulated widely on social media, cites Article 50(j) of the SPLM Constitution (2008, as amended in 2016) as the legal basis for the suspension.
“In exercise of powers conferred upon me under Article 50(j) of the SPLM Constitution 2008 (as amended in 2016), I hereby issue this order for the suspension of the SPLM Youth League interim chairperson of Aweil East County with immediate effect,” the order states.
The order further directs Akec to “refrain from performing any duties or exercising any powers associated with this office until further notice.”
Speaking in an interview on Sunday, Commissioner Garang accused the suspended youth leader of exceeding his constitutional mandate by reshuffling youth leadership structures across the county’s seven payams without consulting county party authorities.
“He overstepped his constitutional mandate. He brought in people who were not the rightful individuals to replace the payam chairpersons,” Garang said.
“When making such changes, the lists should be presented to the county SPLM chairperson and the party secretary. None of these procedures was followed,” he added.
The commissioner also criticised Akec for consulting state-level party officials regarding the restructuring.
“Why did he go to the state leadership? Was he appointing officials at the state level or at the county level? These are county matters, and his actions went outside the law,” Garang said.
However, Akec rejected the allegations, insisting that he acted within party procedures and consulted the state SPLM Youth League leadership before making any changes.
“If there are charges that warrant my suspension, the county chairperson should have consulted the state youth leadership and the party secretary,” Akec said. “He is not the proper authority to suspend the SPLM youth chairperson without involving the relevant structures.”
Akec described the suspension as politically motivated, claiming that some party members opposed his efforts to introduce new leadership within the youth structures ahead of the anticipated elections.
“There is no way I could make changes without informing the state SPLM leadership,” he said. “When making changes within the youth league, consultations are necessary, and I obtained approval from the state youth leadership.”
He said he is awaiting further investigations and remains at home pending a decision by the party leadership.
“It is up to them whether to dismiss me, investigate me, or reinstate me,” he said.
The suspension has generated mixed reactions among youth members and residents of Aweil East County. While some support the commissioner’s decision, others have criticised it as politically driven.
Local activist and former broadcaster Bulis Bol Chan, based in Wanyjok, criticised the county leadership, saying residents continue to face challenges related to poor service delivery.
“Our citizens suffer from a lack of basic services, and the county authorities neither see them nor serve them,” Chan wrote in a social media post.
He also appealed to Northern Bahr el Ghazal Governor Charles Madut Akol to recognise the importance of youth participation in governance.
“Youth are the source of new ideas and innovation. When leaders sideline them, institutions become trapped in old ideas while the world changes rapidly,” he said.
The dispute follows recent leadership changes within youth structures in the seven payams of Aweil East County. The developments have heightened tensions within local SPLM ranks at a time when South Sudan continues preparations for long-awaited elections.
It remains unclear whether state party leaders will intervene to resolve the dispute or review the suspension.
