February 4, 2026
The opposition National Democratic Movement (NDM) has descended into internal crisis after a splinter faction announced it had removed party leader Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, accusing him of repeatedly violating party rules and undermining internal democracy.
The announcement came during a press conference held in Juba on Wednesday. Peter Lomude Francis, a senior NDM member and lawmaker, read a statement on behalf of the group, according to Radio Tamazuj.
“The National Democratic Movement announces the removal of Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin from the office of the party,” Francis said.
The faction said the decision followed extensive consultations and internal reviews and was unanimously endorsed by what it described as the party’s highest decision-making body. It said the decision took immediate effect and reduced Akol to an ordinary party member.
According to the statement, the group accused Akol of acting unilaterally, ignoring resolutions of party organs, interfering in internal elections, forming parallel structures, and promoting favoritism and tribal divisions within the party. The faction also raised concerns over financial transparency and accountability since the party’s formation.
“The removal of Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin is based on serious and repeated violations, including unilateral violations of the resolutions of the National Executive Committee and the National Leadership Council of NDM,” Francis said, as reported by Radio Tamazuj.
The group appointed former secretary general Mahjoub Biel Turuk as interim chairman until a general party conference is convened. It reaffirmed its commitment to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement and called for inclusive dialogue within the party.
The official NDM leadership rejected the announcement, with party spokesperson Kai Tap Gatchang telling Radio Tamazuj that the individuals behind the move were a splinter group acting outside recognized party structures. He said only the National Leadership Council has the authority to remove or appoint party leaders.
Background on Lam Akol Ajawin
Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin is a veteran South Sudanese politician and a long-time figure in the country’s opposition politics. He founded the National Democratic Movement in 2016 after breaking away from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–Democratic Change (SPLM-DC), which he had led since 2009. Akol previously served as Sudan’s foreign minister before South Sudan’s independence and took part in the liberation struggle.
A persistent critic of President Salva Kiir’s leadership, Akol unsuccessfully challenged Kiir in the 2010 presidential election. Despite his opposition stance, he has held several government positions under power-sharing arrangements stemming from the 2018 peace agreement.
In October 2025, President Kiir removed Akol from his post as minister of transport, barely five months after his appointment. The dismissal came amid growing political tensions and followed NDM complaints that the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) had begun taking positions allocated to the party under the peace deal.
The latest dispute within NDM adds to ongoing fractures among South Sudan’s opposition groups as the country continues to implement the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.
