Mr. Moro Isaac Genesio the chairman for the South Sudan National Movement for Change or SSNMC - credit | Stephen Chot | Eye Radio | Sept 25, 2021

The South Sudan National Movement for Change has accused Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi of snatching 17 political positions allocated to its docket during the unity government formation, allegations that the latter dismissed.

SSNMC, a member of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) said in a press conference on Monday that it appeals to President Salva Kiir to intervene and recover the lost positions.

Mogga Charles, the party’s secretary for foreign affairs, accused Vice President Abdelbagi and the current Minister of Presidential Affairs, Joseph Bangasi Bakosoro over the matter.

Mogga stated that the party members sacked from the transitional government included the chairperson, Moro Isaac Genesio, who was Central Equatoria’s Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement and the former commissioner of Kapoeta South, among others.

“We request H.E. the President to reign in over the VP Hussein Abdelbagi Akol to avoid using a partner in peace to achieve and fulfill his ill bilateral ambitions,” he told the media.

“The leadership of SSNMC appeals to H.E. the president to use his mercy and prerogative to ensure justice and resolve the situation while we continue to seek his audience.”

The party also announced that it has resolved to withdraw the vote of confidence over the vice president as SSOA constituency member.

– ‘Rebellion against SSOA’ – 

The spokesperson of Vice President Abdelbagi’s party, South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM), has dismissed the SSNMC party’s accusations, describing it as false allegation and a indication of rebellion.

Stephen Lual Ngor, who is also SSOA’s press secretary, said the SSNMC statement was misleading and denied that the vice president snatched the positions.

“We as SSOA alliance, deny in its entirety and detail the accusations that the SSNMC group, which came out a few days ago, accused the vice president of  the republic,” Lual said.

“They claimed that the Vice president of the republic took their 17 positions, we want to confirm that this accusation is false. The statement is misleading and has nothing to do with reality.”

Regarding the SSNMC position on withdrawing their vote of confidence on Abdelbagi as SSOA constituency member, Lual said no single party in the alliance can unilaterally decide on matters of its obligations.

The staunch ally of Vice President Abdelbagi, described the public statement by SSNMC as a rebellion against SSOA alliance.

“They are claiming that they withdrew confidence from the vice president. This statement indicates that this group rebelled against the statute of SSOA alliance.”

“SSOA alliance consists of eight additional parties. Decisions are taken unanimously or in harmony in order to take any unified position.”

“I want to confirm also that any organization that constitutes the alliance of SSOA has no right to withdraw any confidence from any position that any of the organizations nominated in positions.”

In their press statement, the aggrieved political party said its members have been threatened, blackmailed, targeted, and unilaterally removed from the national and state government without their notification.

“The leadership of SSNMC resolved to bring to the attention of the public, the acute injustice and blatant violation of the spirit and the provisions of the R-ARCSS 2018 being perpetuated by H.E Vice President Hussein Abdelbai Akol.”

“We are being threatened, blackmailed, targeted and unilaterally removed of our party members including our party chairperson, the secretary general, and the commissioner of Kapoeta South by Hussein Abdelbagi and facilitated by Hon. Joseph Bangasi Bakosoro, the current Minister of Presidential Affairs.”