The South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM) has strongly refuted media reports linking its chairman, Dr. Costello Garang Riiny, to succession discussions within the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
This follows allegations published by Sixty-Four Tribes Press claiming that Dr. Garang, former Northern Bahr el Ghazal Governor Tong Akeen Ngor, and ex-SSPDF Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Santino Deng Wol held a Google Meet session to declare Vice President Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel Kuol as President Salva Kiir’s successor.
The report further suggested that the Aweil community would rebel if their demand for Dr. Bol to succeed President Kiir was ignored—a claim SSPM says is entirely fabricated.
David Lawrence Lual, the SSPM spokesperson, dismissed the allegations as “baseless propaganda” aimed at tarnishing the image of the party and its leadership.
“The SSPM categorically and unequivocally refutes these unfounded and misleading allegations against its chairman. Dr. Costello Garang Riiny Lual has never held any meeting, virtual or physical, with the individuals mentioned to discuss Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel Kuol or any succession plans,” Lual emphasized.
He reiterated that matters relating to Dr. Bol Mel remain an internal concern of the SPLM and not SSPM.
“We in the SSPM never interfere in the internal decisions of other parties. The issue concerning Vice President Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel Kuol is solely an SPLM matter. We fully respect, as partners, the choices of the President and the SPLM leadership,” he added.
SSPM, a member of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance and a signatory to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS), reaffirmed its commitment to peace, unity, and stability in the country while condemning what it called “irresponsible reporting.”
Speculation about President Kiir’s succession has intensified since May 2025, when he reshuffled the SPLM leadership, appointing Dr. Bol Mel as the party’s First Deputy Chairperson. While some observers interpreted the move as a sign of Kiir preparing to step down, SPLM officials have downplayed these assumptions.
