SPLM Aweil: Leadership Dispute Detentions Escalate Party Tensions

• At least five SPLM members were detained in Aweil, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, following a physical confrontation over a leadership dispute.
• The dispute centers on the appointment of Karbino Thiep Tong as state secretary general, which opponents claim violates the SPLM party constitution.
• The party constitution requires the State Secretary General to be a member of the 51-member SPLM State Liberation Council, which Thiep allegedly was not.
• Former Governor Simon Ober Mawut appointed Thiep, following the removal of Joseph Deng Akot from the state council, a move also deemed contrary to party procedures.
• Police are awaiting a meeting between the commissioner and the governor (currently Charles Madut Akol) before releasing further information on the detentions.

This incident highlights the importance for lawyers advising political parties or officials in South Sudan to ensure strict adherence to internal party constitutional procedures, especially concerning appointments, to mitigate the risk of internal disputes escalating into police action and detentions.

Police in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state recently detained at least five members of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Aweil. The arrests on Monday followed a physical confrontation involving several senior party officials and members of the SPLM State Liberation Council, escalating an internal leadership dispute within the party's Aweil branch.

The incident saw a clash between protesting members of the State Liberation Council and high-ranking party figures, including Deputy Chairperson Angelo Akech Akeen, Secretary General Karbino Thiep Tong, and Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs, Mobilization and Organization Karbino Unguec Anguei. James Jok Lual, a supporter of the faction opposing the current party leadership, confirmed the physical altercation and subsequent police intervention, stating that the protesting members were taken into custody after the event.

Among those detained were Garang Kuac Ariath, Malong Anyuon, and Joseph Deng Akot, all of whom have actively opposed the appointment of Karbino Thiep Tong as the state secretary general. Col. Madut Ngong Aleu, spokesman for the South Sudan National Police Service in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, indicated that further details would be released following a meeting between the state police commissioner and the governor (currently Charles Madut Akol) to discuss the ongoing SPLM party tensions.

The core of the SPLM Aweil leadership dispute centers on the controversial appointment of Karbino Thiep Tong to the influential position of state secretary general. Opponents argue that Thiep's appointment violates the party's constitutional procedures, specifically the requirement that the SPLM State Secretary General must be a member of the 51-member SPLM State Liberation Council.

According to James Jok Lual, Thiep was not a member of this state-level council at the time of his appointment. While Thiep had previously served on the 35-member SPLM Aweil County Liberation Council, this prior role does not fulfill the constitutional prerequisite for the state secretary general position. The appointment was made by former Northern Bahr el Ghazal governor Simon Ober Mawut.

Adding to the controversy, Thiep's elevation followed the removal of Joseph Deng Akot from the state-level council. This removal, according to the opposing faction, also contravenes established party procedures, further fueling the contention surrounding the legality and legitimacy of the current leadership structure.

This incident, marked by the Northern Bahr el Ghazal SPLM arrests, underscores the critical importance of strict adherence to internal party constitutional procedures, particularly concerning appointments. The escalation of an internal disagreement into a physical confrontation and subsequent police detentions highlights the potential for political disputes to destabilize local governance and party unity in South Sudan.

Such events, where Aweil SPLM officials are arrested due to a Karbino Thiep Tong appointment dispute, demonstrate how perceived violations of the SPLM party constitution can lead to significant unrest. The requirement for the SPLM State Secretary General to be a member of the State Liberation Council is a fundamental aspect of the party's internal democratic process, designed to ensure legitimacy and prevent arbitrary decision-making.

This incident highlights the importance for lawyers advising political parties or officials in South Sudan to ensure strict adherence to internal party constitutional procedures, especially concerning appointments, to mitigate the risk of internal disputes escalating into police action and detentions. The ongoing South Sudan political detentions related to this leadership struggle serve as a stark reminder of the need for transparent and constitutionally compliant processes within political organizations.

This incident highlights the importance for lawyers advising political parties or officials in South Sudan to ensure strict adherence to internal party constitutional procedures, especially concerning appointments, to mitigate the risk of internal disputes escalating into police action and detentions.

Source: Original reporting via Radio Tamazuj