Hussein’s faction claims SSOA lacks legitimate leadership

JUBA – A faction of the South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM) led by Vice President Hussein Abdelbaggi has dismissed a statement from the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) under the leadership of Josephine Lagu, rejecting Hussein’s move to remove Dr. Costello Garang as SSPM leader.

Hussein announced the removal of Costello as SSPM leader during a meeting on Friday and declared himself interim chairman. The SSPM is one of eight political organizations that form SSOA, an opposition coalition established in 2017.

In response, SSOA issued a statement saying it was “surprised” by the decision and maintained that Garang remains the legitimate leader of the SSPM until a consensus is reached within the group.

However, the SSPM, in a statement signed by its spokesman Stephen Lual Ngor and extended to Sudans Post, argued that SSOA is fragmented and lacks legitimate leadership. The SSPM said the absence of unified leadership within the alliance means no faction can unilaterally take decisions binding on all members.

“SSOA is a coalition of eight independent parties as per the preamble of the SSOA charter, in addition to UDRA. SSOA has many factions, and none should claim legitimacy of the entire SSOA leadership,” the SSPM said in its statement.

The SSPM emphasized that member organizations within the coalition retain the right to make internal leadership decisions in line with their constitutions. It cited Article 5(2) of the SSOA charter, which allows internal changes without the need for approval or recognition from the coalition leadership.

The statement accused Costello of violating the SSOA charter by engaging in conspiracy and fraudulent activities, noting that Article 5(6) prohibits members from engaging in hostilities and negative propaganda.

It also criticized Lagu’s leadership of SSOA as a “self-imposed faction” and rejected claims that the SSOA charter restricts internal leadership changes within member organizations, asserting that such provisions apply only to coalition-wide matters.

“The leadership of SSPM can only be reconstituted by the leadership council, not by a family or any SSOA faction. The political recognition offered by SSOA is irrelevant and without legal force, therefore, it is null and void,” the statement concluded.