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Kiir reappoints Abdelbagi as Vice President

Author: Lasuba Memo | Published: 8 hours ago

Hussein Abdelbagi, Vice President for Service Cluster. | Photo: No.1 Citizen Daily.

President Salva Kiir reinstated Hussein Abdelbagi Akol as Vice President and Chair of the Service Delivery Cluster on Thursday evening after relieving Josephine Joseph Lagu of her duties. The administrative changes were announced via the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Thursday evening.

Josephine, leader of a faction within the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), had served in the role since replacing Abdelbagi in February 2025.

Abdelbagi, also a leader of another faction of SSOA, first assumed the Vice Presidency in February 2020 under the Revitalized Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS).

Abdebagi’s tenure saw a major shift in February 2025 when President Kiir moved him to the cabinet as the Minister of Agriculture. With this latest decree, Abdelbagi exits his ministerial post to resume his high-ranking seat in the presidency.

The reappointment follows a strategic move by Abdelbagi last December. In a meeting with President Kiir and Security Advisor Tut Gatluak Manime, Abdelbagi officially handed over the command and records of his SSOA forces to the President for integration into the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF).

Abdebagi has since announced plans to form a political party to contest the nation’s upcoming general elections after relinquishing his title as Commander-in-Chief.

The leadership shuffle underscores the ongoing complexity within the South Sudan Opposition Alliance. Although the coalition—a key signatory to the 2018 peace deal—split into two factions after the formation of the unity government, the ruling SPLM party continues to recognize and work with both the Lagu and Abdelbagi wings to maintain the stability of the transition.

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