The National Democratic Movement (NDM), a member of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), feels excluded from participation in the unity government, following the appointment of Mr. Denay Jock Chagor as governor for Jonglei state.

Last week, President Salva Kiir removed Denay Jock Chagor from the Higher Education ministry and reappointed him the governor of the troubled Jonglei State.

Denay was replaced by Gabriel Changson Chang as the new Higher Education minister.

Both are members of one group within the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) – a third party to the September 2018 peace agreement.

The National Democratic Movement led by Dr. Lam Akol had nominated its secretary-general, Mahjoub Biel for Jonglei state’s governorship, but President Salva Kiir Mayardit did not appoint him.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Thursday last week, NDM Spokesperson David Lawrence said the party was excluded from the process in which former Higher Education minister, Denay Jock Chagor was named as the governor for the troubled Jonglei State.

Lawrence says South Sudan Opposition Alliance had not reached an agreement on a single candidate to represent them in Jonglei, adding that Denay was appointed by President Kiir after the coalition submitted two candidates for Jonglei state’s governorship.

"A certain group within SSOA sat and nominated Denay although we presented our candidate to the presidency with all the justifications for the need to appoint NDM’s candidate Mahjoub Biel. But President Salva Kiir chose to appoint Denay,” Lawrence explained.

According to the NDM spokesperson, the candidate’s selection process was not discussed at the level of the leadership council of the opposition alliance.

"We think that the National Democratic Movement is causing inconvenience because of its firm position on the implementation of the agreement. So, what is happening is the exclusion of NDM from political participation at the national and state levels,” he said.

The members of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) signed the September 2018 peace deal as one entity.