April 5, 2020 (Nyamilepedia) — The South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) led by Josephine Lagu is in crisis after Dr. Lam Akol, the opposition umbrella’s Secretary-General, sacked a media official over statements critical of him.
In a statement extended to Nyamilepedia on Saturday, Akol removed Stephen Lual, the deputy spokesperson of the group after he wrote a statement denouncing a statement by Akol earlier saying the chairperson of the group, Lagu, had compromised her position to the government.
“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,” Akol said in his statement.
In a separate statement to Nyamilepedia, Akol who is also the group’s spokesman, relieved Lual of the South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM), of his duties as his deputy for “failure to comply with the terms of assignment.”
Lual however told Nyamilepedia separately that he would not obey the order relieving him saying Akol do not have the powers to relieve him blaming him for “trying to cause havoc and enmity within” the opposition consortium.
Lual said the prominent South Sudanese politician acted out of the SSOA charter and that Lam “did not follow the political line of the alliance and I have the support of the SSOA leadership.”
The unfolding SSOA leadership fued started in late February when President Salva Kiir Mayardit chosed Hussein Abdelbaggi vice-president when he was mandated by some SSOA leaders to select who would represent them in the collegial presidency among a list of four – including Dr. Akol – who all wanted to be vice-president.
Akol then disagreed with the decision but later appeared to accept the outcome after he attended the swearing-in ceremony of the vice-president to office.
