Oyay Deng questions his inclusion in the new UPA alliance
The recently formed United People’s Alliance, is headed by former Secretary General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and chairperson of Real-SPLM, Pagan Amum.
By Chol Chanyong
In an exclusive interview with The City Review on Tuesday, General Oyay Deng Ajak questioned the inclusion of his name in the recently formed United People’s Alliance (UPA), saying he was not consulted during the establishment of the alliance.
The United People’s Alliance, is headed by former Secretary General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and chairperson of Real-SPLM, Pagan Amum.
“My colleagues discussed a number of issues while I was not with them in Nairobi, including the establishment of this new alliance. I was not involved in the discussions,” Oyay said.
“I was surprised when I saw my name in the list of the leadership of the alliance.”
Gen. Oyay, who previously served as the Chief of Staff of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), believes that the right step should have been for all groups to unite under the umbrella of the original Sudan People’s Liberation Movement.
“Or we call it, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, as long as all the leaders of the current groups were originally members of the SPLM, we should not abandon our principles and goals,” he said.
After issuing a statement about forming a new alliance, my position was to reject and not accept it, he added.
Regarding his position on the Tumaini talks, Oyay insisted that the talks have to pick up from where it stopped last.
“We do not know what the government delegation will bring when it returns to the talks, but I insist on starting the talks from zero. We will not accept. The talks must resume from the place where we stopped last time, and what we agreed upon in signing eight protocols,” he said.
On Thursday, opposition groups participating in the Tumaini talks announced the establishment of a new alliance, dubbed the United People’ Alliance (UPA), and later announced leaders of the new formation.
“We, the opposition parties currently in the sustained negotiations in search for peace with the government of the Republic of South Sudan in the Tumaini Initiative under the auspices and mediation of the government of the Republic of Kenya, do hereby announce the formation of the United People’s Alliance (UPA) on this historic 9th day of January 2025 in commemoration of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) on 9th of January 2005, and the exercise of self-determination by the people of South Sudan to finally achieve Independence on 9th July 2011,” the statement read in part.
The United People’s Alliance (UPA) comprises various parties, including the Real-Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (R-SPLM), South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A); South Sudan United National Alliance (SSUNA), the South Sudan People’s Movement/Army (SSPM/A), the National People’s Movement (NPM), Upper Nile People Liberation Front (UNPLF); and National Salvation Front-Revolutionary Command and Council (NAS-RCC).
Oyay Deng Ajak is also a member of Real-SPLM, which they co-founded and lead with Pagan Amum, a key stakeholder and member of the holdout groups that are currently in the peace negotiations in Nairobi.
“I was surprised when I saw my name in the list of the leadership of the alliance,” General Oyay Deng Ajak.