JUBA — Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Secretary-General Akol Paul Koordit has announced that serving members of the armed forces and other organized forces are legally barred from engaging in party political activities.
Koordit issued the clarification in a video briefing published Thursday evening on his office’s official social media channels regarding the party’s ongoing internal democratic procedures.
“Those who are actively serving in the armed forces or other organized forces are strictly prohibited from participating in party activities unless one has been decommissioned and is no longer active in the SSPDF or other organized forces,” Koordit stated, adding that eligibility is strictly limited to individuals out of active uniform.
While the SPLM Secretary-General did not explicitly identify specific candidates facing disqualification, the directive arrives amid widespread reports that multiple active-duty officers within the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and sisterly organized forces have acquired nomination paperwork to run for state legislative seats, parliamentary positions, and gubernatorial posts.
The official pronouncement draws a hard line on military neutrality within party structures, affirming that political candidacy and internal party participation require formal decommissioning from active service.
