The leader of the South Sudan opposition Alliance (SSOA), Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, is facing another political backlash from the grouping’s leaders after he publicly urged Muslims in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State to vote for President Salva Kiir in the general elections slated for December.
Speaking during Eid al-Adha celebrations in Aweil last week, Abdelbagi called on Muslims to rally behind Kiir, saying the president had guaranteed freedom of religion since South Sudan’s independence.
“We do not want any Muslim vote to go to anyone other than Salva Kiir,” Abdelbagi told worshippers, urging Muslims in the state to unite behind the incumbent president ahead of the polls.
The remarks triggered an immediate backlash from SSOA leaders, who accused the vice president of acting without the alliance’s approval and misrepresenting its position on the elections.
SSOA Spokesperson Moro Genesio said the alliance had neither endorsed any presidential candidate nor authorized Abdelbagi to speak on its behalf.
“He is misleading the public, and we want to make it very clear that SSOA has not started to make such a decision to support any candidate, and if it happens so that SSOA does not have a candidate that would want to go into an alliance, then it will be communicated through the rightful channels,” Genesio told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday.
He further criticized the use of religion in political campaigns, arguing that South Sudan’s secular character should not be undermined by appeals based on religious identity.
The controversy has once again exposed deepening cracks within SSOA, where rival factions continue to dispute Abdelbagi’s leadership and political mandate.
However, allies of the vice president dismissed the criticism. Stephen Lual Ngor, a national lawmaker aligned with Abdelbagi’s faction, defended the endorsement, saying cooperation between SSOA and the ruling SPLM party makes support for Kiir unsurprising.
“That call is very normal; H.E., the vice president calling all Muslims and all citizens to support our president,” he stated. “This is a very normal statement. In fact, SSOA and SPLM have an alliance, and SSOA is supporting our president to do all this in peace, reconciliation, and elections. We are working together.”
The dispute comes as political parties begin positioning themselves ahead of South Sudan’s long-awaited elections, with alliances and endorsements increasingly becoming a source of contention within opposition ranks.
Meanwhile, Ter Manyang Gatwech, a civil society activist, weighed in on the ongoing political contentions and urged all parties to demonstrate a genuine commitment to the full implementation of the peace accord and put aside political interests.
“The interests of the people should remain above political calculations, and national unity should be pursued through accountability, inclusiveness, and respect for democratic principles,” he said. “From the perspective of many citizens, the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) has gradually lost its identity as an independent political bloc.”
“There is a growing public perception that SSOA has effectively been absorbed into the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), thereby diminishing its role as an alternative political voice within the country,” Manyang added.
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