The Chairperson of the Red Army Foundation, Deng Bol Aruai has resigned and founded a new political party, named the National Democratic Alliance.
Bol resigns after nine years of service as head of the Red Army Foundation, an organization currently dedicated to addressing social problems, especially among young its own former members and South Sudan’s youth.
He was elected in 2012, and was supposed to complete his third term by the end of 2023.
But the war veteran took a U-turn announcing his resignation, and forming his own political party. He was allegedly inspired by internally displaced persons and the South Sudanese living in the diaspora.
Bol told Eye Radio he communicated his intention of quitting the Red Army Foundation to the members and the SPLM party’s top leadership.
“The step was to resign from the leadership of the Red Army Foundation by writing to the Patron of the Red Foundation and the Commanding Officer, H.E President Salva Kiir Mayardit. I outlined why am resigning from the leadership of the Red Army Foundation,” he said.
Bol said he has also relinquished his ordinary membership in the ruling SPLM party.
According to him, his role in the SPLM party was ceremonial, and the need to be the voice to the voiceless, prompted him and others to form the party.
“They consulted with some in POCs as well as the people in refugee camps and also the diaspora and they concluded that it is best to come up with a political party to give voice to the neglected people and the way things are in this country at this particular time.”
The Red Army Foundation was formed from the Conference held on 28th-29th July 2012 and nominated a 16-member Interim leadership Committee.
On 24th September 2012, the Red Army Foundation was legally registered and on 24th March 2013, at Nyakuron Cultural Center, elections were held where Deng Bol Aruai Bol was elected Chairman.