Costello Garang Suspended Hussein Abdelbagi from SSPM after Hussein and other members of the party said they dismissed him today

Dr. Costello Garang Riiny, Chairman of the South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM), has responded forcefully to claims by Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Akol and his faction that Garang has been ousted as the party’s leader.

Earlier today, Hussein and a group of alleged SSPM members announced that Garang had been dismissed as Chairman and replaced with Hussein as interim leader. In response, Garang released a strongly worded statement dismissing the claims as illegitimate and labelling Hussein’s actions as the desperate move of a “dying horse.”

In his statement, Garang clarified that the attempt to remove him was unconstitutional, asserting, “Hussein Abdelbagi and his group have invoked a fictitious article, which does not exist in our constitution, to justify their illegitimate attempt to oust the Chairman. This clearly demonstrates that they are a rogue group making baseless claims.”

Garang emphasized that no provision in the SSPM constitution grants the Acting Deputy Chairman or non-party members the authority to dismiss the chairman. He described Hussein’s actions as a response to his own failures in leadership within the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), noting, “Hussein is currently facing a leadership crisis within SSOA after failing to fulfill his responsibilities for the past four years and subsequently abandoning SSOA.”

Effective immediately, Garang announced Hussein’s suspension from SSPM on charges of insubordination, pending an investigation. He reassured the public and SSPM supporters that he remains the legitimate chairman of SSPM and deputy chairperson of SSOA. “The party will determine his fate in the coming days in accordance with our constitution,” Garang added.