South Sudan Opposition Alliance’s Josephine Lagu abused of her position, says NMD
April 5, 2020 (JUBA) – The National Democratic Movement (NDM) led Lam Akol has launched a frontal attack on the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) chairman saying she abused her position during the nomination process and promoted division within the alliance.
Also, Akol sacked the SSOA deputy spokesman Stephen Lual from his position on the backdrop of statements denouncing accusation by the NDM leader that the SSOA leadership had been compromised by the government, as it had been stated by the alliance leader.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Saturday, the NDM Spokesman David Lawrence Lual renewed that the SSOA under the leadership of Josephine Lagu has been compromised by the SPLM-IG of President Kiir.
“Ms Josephine Lagu calls her collaboration with the government as being in the spirit of compromise, without which peace cannot be attained. But, when compromise comes from one side it means that side has been compromised,” he said.
In his three page statement, Lawrence Lual went further to directly attack Lagu saying she “has no moral authority” to lead the opposition alliance, saying she twice “abused the office of SSOA Chairman”.
According to the NDM official, Lagu included her name in the list of SSOA nominees for vice-president filed to President Kiir in a clear breach her commitment to not contest for this position. He further said that she nominated SSOA candidates to ministerial positions without prior consultations with her colleagues.
“This is dishonesty unfit of a Chairperson of an organization. The Charter demands that any SSOA decision must be taken by the Leadership Council in a formal meeting,” he said.
The opposition alliance which was seen in 2018 as an alternative in South Sudan as a result of the struggle between the SPLM-IG and the SPLM-IO is now divided into two factions one led by Josephine Lagu and the second is led by Denay Jok Chagor. Other groups such as the National Salvation Front abandoned the alliance before the signing of the revitalized peace agreement.
During the designation process of the nominee for vice-president, several SSOA groups in the Equatoria and the Bahr el-Ghazal provinces agreed to exclude any candidate from the Upper Nile and Equatoria provinces and to give it to the Bahr el-Ghazal which has not representative at the collegial presidency in return, the SSOA factions in the Equatoria will get more ministerial portfolios.
In his statement, Lawrence Lual further accused Lagu of publicly promoting division among SSOA members when she called in an Equatorian forum “to knock off Upper Nile from the contest come what may…,” as he claimed.
Also, the NDM official wondered why Lagu continues to hold the SSOA chairpersonship while her six-month term of office has expired nearly three weeks ago.
“Finally, her term of office has expired on 14 March 2020, and she doesn’t want to relinquish the chair nor conduct an election for the new office. This perhaps maybe because she wants to continue cheating the other members of SSOA,” he said moving the rift to a new area.
Stephen Lual sacked
In a separate statement to Sudan Tribune Lam Akol who is the SSOA Secretary-General and Spokesman relieved his deputy spokesman Stephan Lual of the South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM) for his “failure to comply with the terms of assignment”.
However, Stephen Lual told Sudan Tribune that he would continue to perform his mandate adding he did not the political line of the alliance and he has the support of the SSOA leadership.
(ST)