![Suspended Jonglei SPLM Secretary Bartholmew Deng. [Photo courtesy]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sudanspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/117880313_10221285106490578_8733719875198236382_n.jpg?resize=850%2C423&ssl=1)
Speaking to Sudans Post, sources familiar with the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter, revealed that the secretary was removed from his position in November by Deputy Governor and SPLM Chairman Jacob Akec Dengdit.
While the official reason for the suspension remains unclear, the sources confirmed that it stemmed from growing disagreements between the secretary and Dengdit.
The exact nature of these disagreements is shrouded in secrecy, but it appears their differing approaches to governing the state and managing the party’s activities in Jonglei have created a rift.
“There have been underlying tensions between the two for some time,” confided one source, intimately familiar with the inner workings of the SPLM in Jonglei.
“Their visions for the state and the party seem to be clashing, and that ultimately led to the secretary’s suspension,” the source added.
Another source, close to the secretary, expressed concern about the lack of transparency surrounding the decision.
“He was simply told he was suspended, without any formal explanation or opportunity for defense,” the source stated.
“This has created a sense of unease among party members and raised questions about due process,” the source added.
The suspension has thrown the Jonglei SPLM into disarray, prompting speculation about the future of the party’s leadership and potential consequences for the state’s political landscape ahead of elections slated for December 2024.
While official pronouncements from Dengdit and the SPLM leadership remain elusive, the whispers of discontent and the shrouds of secrecy surrounding the secretary’s removal paint a picture of a party struggling with internal divisions.
