Speaking during a cabinet meeting last week and later at a press briefing in Juba, Abdelbagi said he had given up his position as commander-in-chief of SSOA forces and was ready to hand over all documented troops to the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) under the president’s command.
The announcement positions Abdelbagi among a small group of former opposition commanders seeking to transition from armed influence to open political competition, at a time when the country continues to struggle with the full implementation of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.
Disputes over forces
Abdelbagi said his decision was informed by persistent divisions within opposition movements and recurring disputes over the ownership and control of forces, which he described as a threat to the peace process.
“When we started the first government under the revitalized agreement, there were seven groups, and they were not united,” he told journalists. “Even when some of them came together, we ended up with two factions.”
He recalled that one faction was led by the late General Peter Gadet together with Lam Akol, while the other was headed by Gabriel Changson, a group he said he belonged to at the time. According to Abdelbagi, similar fragmentation continues within the SSOA.
Dismissing claims that there are independent or undeclared forces operating under SSOA control, Abdelbagi challenged those making the allegations to provide evidence.
“Those who dispute what I am saying should show us these forces outside the official records,” he said. “If they are talking about such forces, I relinquish them now, with these records, to the President of the Republic of South Sudan.”
He warned that continued disputes over forces amounted to opposition to peace, saying leaders who maintain parallel command structures were undermining stability.
Shift to party politics
Alongside the handover of forces, Abdelbagi told cabinet colleagues that he intends to establish a political party, signaling a decisive shift from armed struggle to civilian politics. Government officials later confirmed that the proposed party is the South Sudan Patriotic Movement.
While Abdelbagi did not outline the party’s ideology or leadership structure, his declaration suggests he is positioning himself to compete politically as the transition period draws to a close and election preparations intensify.
His move comes against the backdrop of slow progress on security sector reforms, particularly the unification and integration of rival forces, a cornerstone of the 2018 peace agreement that remains only partially implemented.
Government endorsement
The government has publicly welcomed Abdelbagi’s decision, describing it as a positive contribution to peace consolidation. In a statement released on Monday, Information Minister and government spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny said the relinquishing and handover of SSPM forces to the SSPDF under President Kiir’s command was “an encouraging step toward political stability.”
“Hon. Hussein Abdelbagi has demonstrated maturity and statesmanship by placing national interests above personal or partisan considerations,” Ateny said.
He added that the move strengthens confidence in the peace roadmap, supports efforts to dismantle parallel armed groups, and improves prospects for security nationwide.
Ateny also stressed that Abdelbagi’s intention to form a political party falls within constitutional rights, saying the government respects the democratic right of all South Sudanese to organize politically through legal and peaceful means.
Test for the transition
Under the 2018 peace agreement, rival forces were meant to unify into a single national army, but years later, many armed groups remain loosely integrated, amid funding shortages and political mistrust.
By relinquishing his forces to the president and pursuing party politics, Abdelbagi is betting that ballots, rather than bullets, will determine South Sudan’s future leadership.
Whether the transition succeeds will depend on the smooth integration of the SSOA-aligned forces into the SSPDF and on Abdelbagi’s ability to transform his political ambitions into a viable civilian platform ahead of the 2026 elections.
For now, Abdelbagi’s message is unambiguous: his political future, he says, will no longer be anchored in armed command.
