Rebuttal to the So-called SPLM Cadres Forum: In Defense of SPLM-Secretary General, Cde. Dr. Akol Paul Kordit and the Rule of Law

Jemma Nunu Kumba, Ex-Speaker of the NTLA (Photo Credit: Matik Kueth / King Media)

By Zechariah Makuach Maror

Yet again, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) finds itself fending off a self-appointed splinter group masquerading as a concerned “forum.” This time, the culprit is the so-called SPLM Cadres Forum, a social media creature born of opportunism, led behind the curtain, by the former Secretary General of the SPLM, and recently impeached Speaker of the National Parliament, Jeema Nunu Kumba. 

Yes, the same Nunu Kumba who was removed by SPLM Caucus, from her parliamentary post under a cloud of corruption allegations is spearheading the new SPLM faction. Now, this unrecognized, constitutionally orphaned faction has issued a press statement accusing the current Secretary General, Cde. Dr. Akol Paul Kordit, of mass arrests and dividing the party. I want to be brutally clear: this is not a legitimate grievance. It is a desperate smear campaign by a disgraced individual and her dwindling circle of loyalists who cannot stand accountability.

To begin with, the SPLM Cadres Forum has no constitutional mandate. None. It is a self-appointed talking shop that speaks only for itself and its impeached patron. Their press release is a transparent attempt to shield disruptive elements from the long arm of internal discipline while undermining a Secretary General who dares to enforce the party’s own constitution. So let me dismantle their hollow claims one by one, not with emotion, but with logic and facts.

Take the allegation of “mass arrests of SPLM cadres” which they claimed to have been done by Secretary General. The Forum wails about detentions as if Dr. Akol personally chained people in dungeons. The truth is far less dramatic: if any arrests occurred, probably, the police based on actual violations of the law carried it out and maybe, inflammatory social media abuse and incitement. Moreover, here is the key point that the Forum conveniently omits: Dr. Akol, as Secretary General, has a sworn duty to enforce the SPLM Constitution to all members of the party. If the individuals in question were arrested as per claim, it might have been done so, not for holding different opinions. They might possible been arrested for their personal wrong doing or violating party statutes, inciting factional chaos, and organizing parallel, unauthorized meetings designed to sabotage the SPLM’s programs, if at all, the arrest is related to SPLM. No serious organization can tolerate insubordination and then call it comradeship. That is not politics; that is an invitation to anarchy.

Then comes the laughable charge of “disunity.” The Forum claims Dr. Akol is tearing the party apart. Nevertheless, look at the accuser: a faction funded by an impeached Speaker who was thrown out of Parliament for corruption. They meet in secret, issue press statements attacking the Secretary General, and then have the audacity to wrap themselves in the name of H.E. Adut Salva Kiir; as if using the Presidential Envoy’s charitable work grants them moral immunity. That is not unity; that is projection. The truth is that Dr. Akol is engaging with the OPP, SSOA, and the IO, to build pre-election alliances, reducing political violence, and preparing the SPLM for victory in 2026. Dialogue with other parties is leadership, not betrayal. The SPLM cannot win an election in isolation, and any leader who understands this is a leader worth keeping.

Next, the Forum mocks Dr. Akol’s role as head of the Assets Recovery Committee. Let us pause and appreciate the irony: a faction led by a woman impeached for corruption is now complaining about asset recovery. The party leadership legally established the committee to trace and reclaim party properties looted or mismanaged during previous administrations, including the one Nunu Kumba presided over. So why is she fighting Dr. Akol through this so-called forum? Because she fears, that the recovery will reveal her malpractice and double standard she has been hatching for years in secretariats. Questioning why a Secretary General would lead this effort only exposes the Forum’s discomfort with financial transparency. If certain members are terrified of public asset recovery, the public has every right to ask: what did you take?

Then there is the strangest grievance of all: the “herbal medicine” comment. Yes, the Forum actually complained that Dr. Akol once issued a statement acknowledging traditional medicine. During an economic crisis, when millions of South Sudanese cannot afford basic healthcare, a leader discussing affordable alternatives health remedy is not a crime. It is a recognition of the people’s resilience and historical health streak of our living society in fighting diseases and ailments. Reducing serious political debate to mockery of herbal remedies is not an argument; it is intellectual bankruptcy. If that is the best the Forum of Nunu Kumba can muster, they have already lost.

Now, let us address the elephant in the room: the Forum’s attempt to weaponize the name of H.E. Adut Salva Kiir Mayardit. I, personally respect and honor the Special Envoy’s charitable work, her vehicle donations in Rumbek East and across South Sudan are commendable. However, humanitarian gestures do not grant any individual, or supporter, immunity from party discipline. Even Her Excellency Adut would be ashamed to see her name dragged into a smear campaign by a breakaway faction hiding behind her image. Adut is a senior member of the SPLM. She deserves respect, not to be used as a political fig leaf for indiscipline. The SPLM is not a monarchy of favors; it is a revolutionary movement bound by rules. Attempting to cockfight senior members of the party by invoking their names is unacceptable.

The real threat to the SPLM is not Cde. Dr. Akol Paul Kordit as claimed by the breakaway faction. The real threat is the rise of opportunistic internal grouping that seek to paralyze the structure of the party through public pressure while violating party law behind closed doors. I therefore call upon H.E. Cde. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit to ignore this petition, reaffirm his confidence in the current Secretary General, and allow the ongoing disciplinary processes to conclude without political interference. 

Lastly, it is necessary that the party leadership immediately form a disciplinary committee to investigate every member who participated in the so-called SPLM Cadres Forum meetings, and press briefing, with possible punishment, including expulsion, for those found guilty of breaching the party constitution. The SPLM is not a playground for the corrupt and the disgruntled members. It is a liberation movement. Moreover, liberation does not negotiate with indiscipline.

The writer is an Activist and could be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.