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THE CROSS-ROADS POLITICS: The Dilemma of Sgt. Agel R. Machar

Courtesy.
Divorce your wife to buy your oil money rights.

27-1-2026

No doubt, the current system has been appointing its loyalists through a trial-and-error approach. By the time of this writing, three-quarters of the party adherents have already tasted, or even corrupted, the oil money. But why has Sgt Agel Ring Machar remained a beggar in the Konykonyo market?

A young and energetic politician who throws punches at any competitor fearlessly and fiercely, Agel deserves the oil money. I have never attended any of his leadership sittings, yet his voice is impossible to ignore. Among the first critics to oppose the system was Agel, who joined the opposition after the 2013 crisis. He later served as the outspoken press secretary of H.E. Taban Deng Gai.

Soon after, Agel’s political stance shifted from opposition to the very system he once opposed. Above all, his return was fuelled by the amalgamation agreement. The main SPLM party welcomed him back as a gesture of patriotism. Nonetheless, Agel remains a street boy, like any other tea beggar around Hai Thoura. His words and writings no longer carry weight, even within a system driven by nepotism.

When will Agel claim or be appointed to join the oil money van? This unanswered question leaves many of his supporters restless. The truth is simple: Agel’s wife, Hon. Yolanda, is the cause of her husband’s political obliviousness. The SPLM will not recognise Sgt Agel as its member until his wife denounces the IO position she continues to uphold. The battle Agel now faces is not the neglect of his ability by President Kiir, but the loyalty of his wife to the democratic cause advanced by the opposing force.

Reflecting on this reality, the choice remains in the hands of Agel and his wife: to unite under one umbrella, the SPLM-IG, or to remain apart and pursue their political careers separately and oppositely. This will hold Agel hostage continuously. While such political differences are respected democratically elsewhere, the South Sudan government has yet to understand the viability of such plurality within its political landscape.

Agel, demobilise your wife from the opposition stronghold, or remain a street boy and join us, the online political scammers, to fight peacefully for our forthcoming bread. Remember, you deserve a first appointment more than Hon. Ateny Wek Ateny. What, then, allowed him to climb the ladder before you? You are living in a two-camp political reality. Either align politically with your wife and enjoy your marriage, or part ways and voluntarily join the illegal eat-ology in J1.

Abunerry, Ayella

Writer, Critic, and Teacher

Torit.

 

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