Par invoked the Resolutions of the party’s National Liberation Council (NLC) Extraordinary Meeting held in Juba on April 9, 2025, citing Article 20.1 of the SPLM-IO Constitution (2008, amended 2015) as the legal basis for his decision. The suspension order, issued under Article 28.1, which grants the interim chairman authority to take disciplinary actions, was detailed in a public statement.
“With the powers conferred upon me under Article 28.1 of the Constitution, I, Cde. Amb. Stephen Par Kuol, the interim Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of SPLM/A-IO, hereby suspend Cde. Yousif Mayiik Ajang, from his positions as SPLM-IO State Deputy Chairperson and State Minister of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare on the SPLM-IO ticket in the Revitalised Transitional Government of Upper Nile State 2018,” the statement read.
Par accused Ajang of engaging in “subversive activities” classified as a “serious offence” under Section 14.5 of the SPLM-IO’s Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures (2015). While the statement did not specify the exact nature of these activities, sources within the party suggest that Ajang’s actions may have involved challenging Par’s leadership or aligning with rival factions within the SPLM-IO, which has been plagued by internal divisions since April.
In a parallel development, Par issued a separate order suspending 11 SPLM-IO members from their respective roles in Western Bahr El Ghazal State.
The suspended individuals include William Kamilo Buluk, Henry Claudio Musa, Juma Abdalla Mohamed, Hawa Balinga Boy, Luka Ngor Kuic, Peter Lual Akuar, Rogeya Musa Nowar, Dansio William Taban, Pasquale Majok Majok, Angelo Ghiir Agith, and Adil Mohamed Hassan.
The reasons for these suspensions were not detailed in the statement, but they are believed to be part of Par’s broader effort to purge dissenting voices and strengthen his grip on the party’s regional structures.
The suspensions come at a critical juncture for the SPLM-IO, which plays a pivotal role in South Sudan’s Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity, formed under the 2018 peace agreement.
The party, led historically by Riek Machar, has faced ongoing challenges, including factionalism, defections, and disputes over leadership succession following the arrest and detention of its chairman in March.
Par’s rise to interim chairman has been controversial, with Machar’s loyalists questioning his legitimacy and accusing him of consolidating power through authoritarian measures.
