Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM) has rejected claims by Hussein Abdelbagi that he relinquished forces under the party and the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), saying he has never commanded any forces and lacks the authority to speak on their behalf.
The statement came after Abdelbagi, who is also the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, recently said he had relinquished more than 3,000 forces under the party and the alliance, which he claimed were under his command.
The Minister of Information and government spokesperson, Ateny Wek Ateny, later said the government had received and welcomed the said forces.
However, in a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday and seen by Eye Radio, SSPM dismissed the claims by Abdelbagi.
The party described the claims as false, misleading, and inconsistent with the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
According to SSPM, Abdelbagi has never held any military command position within the party or exercised authority over the alliance forces.
The party said that under Chapter II of the R-ARCSS, command and control of forces are exercised through agreed institutional and security mechanisms, not through unilateral political pronouncements.
The party further revealed that Abdelbagi was formally dismissed from SSPM on 20 February 2025 by the party chairman, Dr. Costello Garang Ring Lual, and was subsequently disowned by the SSOA.
Following his dismissal, SSPM said, Abdelbagi ceased to have any political or military authority within both entities.
“Having been dismissed, he cannot lawfully claim control over SSPM or SSOA forces, let alone relinquish them,” read in part the statement.
SSPM also clarified the status of its forces, stating that in line with the peace agreement, its forces were already cantoned, trained, screened, and unified as part of the National Unified Forces.
Abdelbagi has not responded to the claims by SSPM.
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