JUBA, August 26, 2024 — The Federal Democratic Party (FDP), a key signatory to the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan under the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), is facing a serious internal conflict over leadership and ownership. Two factions, one led by Gen. Gathoth Gatkuoth Hothnyang and the other by Gabriel Changson Chang, are both claiming the party’s leadership.

In a press conference held at the FDP headquarters in the Rock City suburb of Juba over the weekend, Changkuoth Bichiock Reth, Secretary General of the Changson-led faction, dismissed Hothnyang’s leadership claims. Reth stated that Hothnyang was dismissed from the party in 2016 after defecting to join the government, accusing him of fraudulent activities on social media.

“It has come to the attention of the Federal Democratic Party leadership that General Gathoth Gatkuoth Hothnyang, who defected and was dismissed in 2016 together with a delegation after joining the government, was undertaking fraudulent operations on social media,” said Reth. He emphasized that Hothnyang’s name does not appear in the official party register, undermining his claims to the chairmanship.

Bichiock highlighted that the FDP was established in 2015 in Nairobi, with Hothnyang as one of its members. However, in 2017, it was the Changson-led FDP that was contacted by the IGAD High-level Revitalized Forum to participate in negotiations for the current peace agreement, ultimately leading to the formation of SSOA.

Attempts by Radio Tamazuj to reach Hothnyang for comments were unsuccessful as calls went unanswered.