As South Sudan navigates a critical phase in its political history, the opposition was expected to play a key role in steering the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement and pressuring the government to enact necessary reforms. However, the reality tells a different story. Instead of being a force for change, the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) has become an arena for internal power struggles, sidelining the real issues that matter to the South Sudanese people.
A Visionless Alliance: Lost Priorities and Fragmentation
After signing the Revitalized Peace Agreement, the opposition should have focused on addressing key unresolved provisions, such as army unification, institutional reforms, constitutional drafting, and preparing a conducive environment for the upcoming elections. Instead, the alliance has devolved into a bitter contest over power, with leaders obsessing over the Vice President’s seat as if the nation’s fate depended solely on who holds that position.
This behavior reflects a glaring lack of strategic vision within the opposition. Rather than ensuring a smooth and stable transition toward democracy, opposition leaders have become preoccupied with personal political ambitions. The recent internal conflicts among opposition parties demonstrate how many political figures have lost their moral compass, prioritizing self-interest over genuine national commitment.
The Battle for Legitimacy: Hussein Abdelbagi vs. Costello Garang
While tensions between the opposition and the government were expected, the internal divisions within opposition forces have proven even more damaging, exposing a deeper crisis of leadership and unity. A prime example is the ongoing dispute between Hussein Abdelbagi and Costello Garang over who holds the legitimate presidency of the South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM).
Instead of using this critical period to unite their ranks and push for genuine political reforms, the movement remains paralyzed by infighting. Both leaders are more focused on proving their individual legitimacy than advancing the political agenda of their party or advocating for the people they claim to represent.
Lam Akol’s Silent Ambition
Another concerning development is the shift in Lam Akol’s political stance. Once among the fiercest critics of the government’s failures to implement the peace agreement, his voice has now fallen silent. Once outspoken, he now turns a blind eye to the same violations he used to condemn.
Why? Because he is consumed by his dream of becoming Vice President. His personal ambitions have led him to ignore the government’s ongoing non-compliance with the agreement. He, who once exposed government failures, now conveniently overlooks them, hoping to secure a high-ranking position.
This shift in figures like Lam Akol illustrates a broader crisis within the opposition—where principles and national duty have been abandoned in favor of self-serving political maneuvering. It is no longer about justice or democratic progress but rather about who gets a bigger share of power.
A Government Thriving on a Weak Opposition
With the opposition in disarray, the government has emerged as the biggest winner. The absence of a strong, united opposition has allowed the government to consolidate its grip on power without facing any real pressure to implement reforms.
No longer constrained by accountability, the government has stalled the implementation of the peace agreement, delaying key reforms in hopes that, by the time elections arrive, they will be nothing more than a rubber-stamp exercise. Even worse, some opposition figures have been co-opted with symbolic positions, rendering them mere pawns in the government’s broader strategy to maintain control.
No Real Opposition, No Democracy
The collapse of a strong and credible opposition poses a direct threat to democracy in South Sudan. Without an effective counterbalance to the ruling party, elections will become meaningless, the peace agreement will remain an empty promise, and the citizens will continue to suffer the consequences of political dysfunction.
It is time for opposition leaders to recognize that their role is not to scramble for power but to fight corruption, uphold justice, and ensure democratic governance. If they fail to rise above petty personal ambitions, history will not forgive them. Instead, they will be remembered as mere extensions of the government they once opposed.
South Sudan does not need a fragmented and self-serving opposition—it needs a genuine political force capable of breaking this vicious cycle of political chaos. If this change does not happen soon, the people will take matters into their own hands, and when that moment comes, there will be no room for those who have betrayed their duty.
The author, Mahmoud Akot, is a South Sudanese political activist based in France. He can be reached via email: mahmoudakot@gmail.com
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.