South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The South Sudan National Police Service on Wednesday arrested John Deng Obany, the Deputy Chairperson of the opposition the United Sudan African Party (USAP) on charges of forging party documents.
Joseph Malek, who leads a faction contesting the party leadership, accuses Obany, who is the deputy chairperson in the rival group of forging the party’s registration documents.
Malek who is also the Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in the transitional unity government, told The Dawn on Thursday that he officially registered the party with the Political Parties’ Council, adding that he is the legitimate leader of USAP.
“Obany is not a member of USAP, his faction forged party documents and we have already opened a case against them and we already initiated legal process because the heading paper and the stamp have been stolen by them,” he said.
Malek revealed that the Political Parties’ Council has since written to Obany and his colleagues who have been dismissed from the party to refrain from using the party documents but they ignored the caution.
Meanwhile, Obany confirmed his incarceration and accused Malek of witch-hunting party leaders opposed to him.
“Right now, I am in the police station, we have differences with the Deputy Minister Joseph Malek. He has used his power against the members of the party,” said Obany.
“Let the public see what is going on in the party, Malek said he has dismissed us from the party and yet he is not the legitimate chairperson of the party, our Convention was held in December 2024 and we elected the new leadership of the party,” said Obany.
In October 2024, tensions rose after a faction of USAP party members declared the removal of Malek as interim chairman, along with his deputy and secretary general, exposing entrenched political disputes within the party.
In December 2024, the party elected Joseph Ojukwu Ikarai as the new chairperson and John Deng Obany, as the deputy chairperson and Malong Chan Deng as the Secretary General.
