President Kiir poses in a photo with SSOA leadership
Tuesday, 17 March 2026 | Author – Alex Onyango | Nairobi-Kenya |Photo: President’s Press Unit| GT-News |
The leadership of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) faction under Hussein Abdelbagi Akol on Monday, 16 March, issued a stinging rebuke to the “disowned” the faction under Josephine Joseph Lagu, accusing her of attempting to sabotage the country’s peace process.
The move marks a widening rift within the SSOA, a key signatory to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS) that ended years of bloody civil war.
In a strongly worded statement, the SSOA leadership dismissed claims that President Salva Kiir acted unilaterally in reappointing Hussein Abdelbagi Akol. Instead, they pointed to a formal nomination letter dated November 17, 2025, as proof that the Vice President retains the full backing of the Alliance’s legitimate hierarchy.
“The President acted in response to the official recommendation of SSOA leadership, and not on his own initiative,” the statement read, offering the nomination letter (Ref. No. SSOA/13/25) for public verification.
The Alliance turned its fire on a faction formerly led by Hon. Josephine Joseph Lagu, a former SSOA Chairperson and Vice President. The leadership characterized the group as “deeply divided” and “politically opportunistic,” alleging that members were competing for Akol’s seat while their own leader was still in office.
The SSOA further accused the dissenters of “hypocrisy,” noting that they remained silent on previous compromises within the Alliance until their personal interests were threatened.
The internal friction comes at a sensitive time for South Sudan as it navigates the complex implementation of the R-ARCSS. While the SSOA reaffirmed its “full commitment” to unity, observers note that such public infighting could complicate the power-sharing ratios essential to the transition.
“This internal chaos exposes the group’s lack of coherence and credibility,” the SSOA stated, signaling a definitive break with the Lagu-led faction.
This follows the dismissal of Josephine Lagu Yanga in February from her position as the vice president in charge of the service cluster. President Kiir appointed Hussein Abdelbagi Akol as the vice president for the service cluster, a position he had held before as part of the power-sharing arrangement.
