BY MOSES GARANG
The South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) has not lived up to the billing it carried at the onset of the implementation of the peace agreement in South Sudan.
It looked like such a massive force that they inevitably would not go without being accorded one of the highest offices in the land, a deputy executive of South Sudan, or vice presidency.
With the number of parties involved, it should have been an alliance to reckon with when it comes to rooting for the complete implementation of the peace agreement in South Sudan.
The people behind the alliance were those you would not feel like crossing paths with, especially when they were still in active opposition. But that seems to have all gone away with everyone now in government.
Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Ayii leads them in the Transitional Government of National Unity, and it seems his leadership has created divided opinions in the group, turning costly on them in instances as it stands, the best option may be digging into their rank and file for better leadership quality.
Luck always hits and for them so they can easily find one in Costello Garang Riny Lual.
Vice President Abdelbagi was the all-trusted man, seen as omnipotent, respected to a high degree within the alliance, and expected to largely foster the interest of SSOA in the Transitional Government of National Unity. SSOA never hesitated to pick him up when they were asked by the peace agreement to produce vice president material. They seconded Vice President Abdelbagi without hesitation when his name was mentioned.
Lamentations and calamity now rock the alliance as VP Abdelbagi has abrogated all interest in them, turning away from the plans and programs that SSOA expected him to foster and rather is in bed with his newfound power and money.
Costello Garang Riny Lual is a veteran of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army and one who comes with high marks for gentlemanliness and integrity. A man of his word, calm, cool, and mature, he stands out as a leader that people would love to work with. Basically, he is a gift to SSOA, and they know it. Maybe they are keeping him as the alliance’s golden bullet in waiting to deliver at the best time? Yes, and what if the alliance decides to go as a bloc into the elections? Costello Garang Riny Lual would be the best man to take up the leadership in place of VP Abdelbagi.
Costello Garang Riny Lual is a South Sudanese politician. He was born on the 15 May 1953 in the town of Aweil in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal. As the son of a leading Dinka traditional leader and the late executive paramount chief of Greater Ayat, Ring Lual Dau, he has held numerous posts in the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) since its formation in 1983, as well as being Chairman of the New Sudan Foundation and the White Nile Foundation. For the latter, he has been particularly active in the fields of international cooperation and economic development.
In contrast, VP Abdelbagi can only pride in luck for the position he holds, having been picked by President Salva Kiir with the hope that he would deliver.
He is one of the vice presidents of South Sudan, also from Northern Bahr el Ghazal. Born in the late 1960s to the politically influential Malual Dinka tribal leader Sultan Abdelbagi Akol, VP Abdelbagi however did not partake directly in his father’s footsteps and was not that influential in the liberation of South Sudan. His shots at vying for leadership have been with the gun, taking up the role of the Chief of General Staff of the South Sudan Patriotic Army, which became part of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance. He and Costello Garang Riny Lual were leaders in the SSPM/A, but in August 2018, the SSPM/A split, with Abdelbagi, out of greed, creating a faction that claimed to have removed Costello Garang Riny Lual. In July 2019, the SSPM/A faction of Costello Garang Riny Lual claimed to remove Abdelbagi from office. He then became the speaker of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance faction led by Gabriel Changson Chang after it split in November 2018. As part of the unity government deal, the SSOA was allowed to pick one out of the five vice presidents. They however failed to decide on a vice president, so they authorized President Salva Kiir to pick from a list of six leaders. On 23 February 2020, Kiir picked Abdelbagi, making him the fifth vice president.
That is how VP Abdelbagi rode on luck to reach where he is currently. Without plans for the country, without programs for development, he found himself in charge of the Service Cluster, a huge sector and greatly important for the development of the country. Under his stewardship or so, that sector is limping, with the country’s healthcare and education systems being some of the worst in the world.
VP Abdelbagi has not taken time to advocate for revamping the service delivery sector but has rather lived lavishly while the transitional government still keeps him as a Vice President.
SSOA however can still reign in since they continue to have faces like Costello Garang Riny Lual, all therefore are not lost. If the elections are coming and SSOA expects to run as a block, they are good to go with him. Costello Garang Riny Lual is known as a man who leads with a purpose that always centers on success. He has been massively hailed as a great leader within the SPLM/A movement and attracts a lot of respect from the leadership in South Sudan.
Moses Garang is a concerned citizen and resident of Northern Bahr El Ghazal State. He can be reached at mosesgaranggarang@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.