Vice President Hussein Abdelbaggi Akol has appointed Gassim Barnaba Kisanga as the new chief whip for the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), replacing Lam Ker Chagor, according to a parliamentary announcement on Friday.
The announcement was made by TNLA clerk Santino Majak Deng during an extraordinary sitting of parliament.
The SSOA, a coalition of signatories to the 2018 peace agreement, remains divided into factions aligned with former vice president Josephine Lagu and Abdelbagi, who is widely viewed as an ally of President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
The leadership change comes as lawmakers debate controversial proposed amendments to the 2018 peace deal, which some ruling party-aligned legislators say are aimed at paving the way for elections scheduled for December 2026.
The opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), aligned to detained First Vice President Riek Machar, has rejected the proposed changes, arguing they lack inclusivity and broad consensus.
During Friday’s session, parliament also convened to consider lifting the immunity of two lawmakers, Kom Kom Geng and Ayii Ayii Akol, over pending criminal charges.
A letter attributed to Abdelbaggi and read in parliament stated: “I am writing to officially communicate the replacement of Lam Ker Chagor with Dr. Gassim Barnaba Kisanga as chief whip representing SSOA in the TNLA.”
It added that the change should be implemented by the parliamentary leadership.
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