CSSOM Letter Says Two Members Suspended from Opposition Coalition
A press release dated 29 August names two officers and says coalition bodies should cease official engagement with them in CSSOM’s name. The claims have not been independently tested.
JUBA — A letter bearing the name of the Coalition of South Sudan Opposition Movements (CSSOM) says its Coalition Higher Executive Council suspended Maj. Gen. Dickson Gatluak Jock of the South Sudan United Front (SSUF/A) and Maj. Gen. Biel Torkech Rambang of the South Sudan Democratic Alliance (SSDA) from membership in the coalition.
The document, styled an official press release and dated 29 August 2026, was supplied to South Sudan Press for this report. It alleges that the two failed to observe the coalition’s memorandum of understanding, code of conduct and provisional leadership and governance charter. The letter gives no specific incidents, evidence, disciplinary hearing details or duration of the suspensions.
What the letter says
The letter advises entities, partners and stakeholders to cease official communication and engagement with the suspended men and their organizations in the name or capacity of CSSOM. That wording concerns coalition representation; the document does not establish that either man has been removed from his own organization.
It also asserts that there is only one CSSOM, operating under Gen. Chuol Gakah Yier and Hon. John Jak Deang, and directs inquiries to the coalition secretary general’s office. It is signed in the name of Dr. William Pay Tuoy, EdD, as secretary general. Those leadership and authority claims are the signatories’ position, not an independent finding about any dispute within the coalition.
South Sudan Press has the supplied image of a dated letter. It has not received the underlying council resolution, governing documents, proof of service on the two members or their responses. The image alone does not settle whether coalition procedures were followed.
Why it matters
Representation disputes can affect who speaks for an opposition alliance in political dialogue and who signs or endorses agreements. In a transition already marked by arguments about inclusion, a coalition’s internal rules and any right of appeal matter as much as its public announcement.
The immediate questions are whether the council voted on 29 August or earlier; whether the affected men were notified and allowed to respond; whether their organizations remain coalition members; whether an appeal is available; and which body other parties recognize as authorized to speak for CSSOM. South Sudan Press will seek comment from both named officers and the coalition before treating the allegations as established misconduct.