South Sudan opposition alliance splits amid leadership battle

JUBA – A bitter power struggle has erupted within South Sudan’s National Alliance of Political Parties (NAPP), with rival factions trading accusations and issuing suspensions.

The crisis came to a head on Tuesday when a group of NAPP members announced the removal of Kornelio Kon Ngu as the coalition’s chairman. They accused him of violating the group’s code of conduct and overstaying his term.

“We, the undersigned leadership of the National Alliance of Political Parties, hereby formally announce the relief of Rt. Hon. Kornelio Kon Ngu from the position of assigned Chairman of the National Alliance with immediate effect,” said Joseph Wol Modesto, secretary-general of the Communist Party of South Sudan and a member of the dissenting group.

However, Kon and his supporters swiftly rejected the move, branding it a “coup” and accusing the dissenting faction of seeking political favors.

“The individuals who signed the unconstitutional and the un-procedural letter do not have a moral nor a legal authority to use the name of the National Alliance Political Parties as a political net to catch some political favors,” said Richard Omwony Valent, secretary-general of the NAPP aligned with Kon.

The NAPP, a coalition of 10 opposition parties, has been operating without a formal code of conduct until April 2024, when one was adopted.

The dissenting group argues that Kon violated this code, while his supporters contend that the accusations are baseless.

In a countermove, Kon suspended four political parties from the NAPP, including the Communist Party of South Sudan, accusing them of dishonorable misrepresentations.

“In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by the National Alliance Leadership Council … I, Kornelio Kon Ngu, the Chairperson of the National Alliance of Political Parties, do hereby issue this suspension order for the suspension of CPSS, DUP, NDA, and SSNP from the National Alliance,” Kon said in a statement.

The deepening divisions within the NAPP have raised concerns about the future of the opposition coalition and its ability to play a constructive role in South Sudan’s political landscape.