Vice President Hussein Abdelbaggi Akol has appointed Dr. Gassim Barnaba Kisanga as the new Chief Whip for the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) in the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA), replacing Lam Ker Chagor.

The parliamentary announcement was made by TNLA Clerk Santino Majak Deng during an extraordinary sitting on Friday.

In a letter read in parliament, Vice President Abdelbaggi stated: “I am writing to officially communicate the replacement of Lam Ker Chagor with Dr. Gassim Barnaba Kisanga as chief whip representing SSOA in the TNLA.”

He directed the parliamentary leadership to implement the change.

The SSOA, a coalition of opposition groups that signed the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement, has been split into factions — one aligned with former Vice President Josephine Lagu and another loyal to Abdelbaggi, who is widely seen as a close ally of President Salva Kiir Mayardit.

The leadership change comes at a tense time as parliament debates controversial proposed amendments to the 2018 peace deal.

Proponents argue the changes are necessary to facilitate elections scheduled for December 2026.

However, the SPLM-IO faction aligned to detained First Vice President Riek Machar has strongly rejected the amendments, citing lack of inclusivity and broad consensus among signatories.

During the same Friday session, parliament also considered lifting the immunity of two lawmakers, Kom Kom Geng and Ayii Ayii Akol, to face pending criminal charges.

The development is the latest sign of shifting alliances and power struggles within the fragile transitional government as the country moves closer to the end of the transitional period.