22/04/2025
BREAKING NEWS🚨
Hon. Stephen Par Kuol Holds Secret Meeting with Senior SPLM Officials, Expected to Announce Allegiance Shift
Juba – April 22, 2025
In a dramatic turn of political events, Hon. Stephen Par Kuol, a prominent figure within South Sudan’s political landscape, is currently holding a closed-door meeting with senior officials of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) at the SPLM House in Juba, credible sources have confirmed.
According to a senior SPLM official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, Hon. Par Kuol—recently emerging as the de facto Chairperson of the SPLM-In Opposition (SPLM-IO)—is now engaging the SPLM leadership directly and without third-party mediation. This development marks a significant shift in the dynamics of the fractured political opposition.
Sources further indicated that Stephen Par Kuol is poised to declare his allegiance to the SPLM party, a move that mirrors the political realignment made by First Vice President Taban Deng G*i in 2016 when he broke ranks with SPLM-IO leader Dr. Riek Machar pledged loyalty to the ruling party.
However, the reported shift has not been welcomed by all within the SPLM-IO ranks. High-ranking SPLM-IO military generals, currently under house arrest in undisclosed locations, have rejected Stephen Par Kuol’s leadership and his designation as interim chairperson. Their rejection underscores ongoing divisions within the opposition movement and may ignite further internal disputes.
The implications of this political maneuver are far-reaching, especially in a nation still grappling with the fragile peace agreement and a looming transitional roadmap. Observers believe this could either pave the way for greater political integration or deepen the fractures within SPLM-IO, possibly impacting national unity and the peace implementation process.
No official statement has yet been released by either the SPLM or Stephen Par Kuol’s office. The nation now waits with bated breath to see whether Par Kuol will officially defect and how this decision will reshape South Sudan’s political arena.
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