19/11/2025
🚨Long read but worthy
Majak D’Agoot and the Former Detainees (FDs)
Tea places in South Sudan push cheap propaganda that continues to shape the country’s dirty political landscape. Some elements of Bor, Duk, and even Twic (and I won’t shy off to say most of Twic elements are from Kongor and Awulian) have spent this week mocking Gen. Dr. Majak D’Agoot over the fact that he hasn’t been appointed into the government. But I doubt they really know anything about Majak very well. Besides the mean titles used to label this great man, I will go back to the root cause of it all—where Majak was first branded as a rebel, som**hing that never happened and will never happen. Majak, like Dr. John Garang, was a reformist, and his current lack of activity in the government is a reflection of Kiir’s desire to surround himself with people who are incompetent and blindly loyal to him. Majak was loyal to the state, and it seems you have all forgotten the meaning of patriotism if you ever read any history.
There’s a popular propaganda claim that in 2013 a vote of hands was raised in the SPLM house. The propaganda goes on to say the vote was for who would be SPLM’s chairman, and then accuses Nyandeng, Majak,and other members of the FDs of voting in favor of Riek. There are many other such propaganda stories cooked to smear Majak’s name. But I did my research well, reading volumes of publications online, and if we actually read to verify information instead of letting dining (m**h) table stories shape our political perceptions, we would never be in a position to judge a man that history cannot erase from South Sudan and whose contribution almost comes close to Dr. John Garang.
So Who Are the Former Detainees (FDs)?
The Former Detainees, who have suffered in the hands of the illiterate, being branded as rebels were 11 high-ranking SPLM politicians who were detained in Juba on December 15 and 16, 2013, accused(remember accused doesn’t mean guilty) by the government of an attempted coup at the start of South Sudan’s civil war. They were seen as a threat by Kiir’s inner circle, and their arrest was driven by Akol Koor Kuc and Marial Chanuong, who rounded them up on the nights of the 15th and 16th. The detainees were later released after months of pressure from Kenya, Ethiopia, and the West. The first group of 7 were released on 29th January 2014, and the Majak and the other 3 were released mid April 2014. Still holding their original SPLM vision, they went on to form their own political bloc, calling themselves the SPLM–Former Detainees (SPLM-FDs).
Here are the 11 SPLM–Former Detainees (SPLM-FDs).
1. Pagan Amum Okiech
2. Majak D’Agoot Atem
3. Oyai Deng Ajak
4. Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth
5. Deng Alor Kuol
6. Kosti Manibe Ngai
7. John Luk Jok
8. Gier Chuang Aluong
9. Madut Biar Yel
10. Cirino Hiteng Ofuho
11. Dr. Chol Tong Mayay
Why They Split From Kiir and Riek
(Contrary to the propaganda that they joined Riek)
The former detainees were some of the most important, loudest, and most educated voices in the SPLM. When the war broke out in 2013, they stayed reserved, refusing to join either Kiir’s government forces or Riek’s SPLA-IO. The FDs believed both men were putting personal interests above the nation and dragging a wounded country back into violence. Because of that conviction, they chose a third-force position — not siding with either camp. And this wasn’t news to Kiir. Tensions had already risen earlier that year within the SPLM. The men who later became the FDs had sent Kiir a clear message: the SPLM had lost its vision, the elite had failed the country, and South Sudan needed reform, dialogue, and a new political settlement. They wanted party elections to be conducted as they were unsatisfied with Kiir’s ruling, and the growing level of corruption in the new state. They condemned the outbreak of the war, calling it a result of power struggles and bad leadership.
Whether Kiir or Riek loved them, or whether people agreed with them or not, that was their line — and they stood by it.
Former Detainees Individual Profiles
1. Pagan Amum Okiech (Former SPLM Secretary General)
Pagan was one of the most powerful civilians in South Sudan and the ideological brain behind the SPLM before the war. He was the SPLM’s Secretary-General, ran the party’s day-to-day affairs, and acted as a bridge between the political bureau and the grassroots. He had earlier served in other important roles like Minister of Peace and CPA Implementation, and before that, Minister of Justice. Pagan was one of the few strong leaders who challenged Kiir openly in meetings and criticized his failure to run state affairs. Together with other members of the political bureau, he had long called for reforms and transparency within the party.
Kiir and his circle distrusted and targeted him after the war broke out because he openly challenged and criticized Kiir in SPLM meetings. He and Majak were seen as the face of the SPLM reform group — the group Kiir feared the most. Kiir loved power, and he knew reforms would lead to party elections, meaning he could lose his throne. (The constitution at the time stated that the president must come from the SPLM.)
After his release, Pagan spent most of his time abroad, where he continued to speak harshly against the government. Realizing the FDs had limited influence due to their lack of military power, he joined SSOMA, an armed-political coalition against Kiir. As it stands, Pagan’s relationship with Kiir is beyond repair. There are very slim chances he could make a comeback to the government in the future, and even if he does, as long as Kiir is still head of state, Pagan will almost certainly never hold a serious or influential post.
Due to international pressure, Kiir might bring him back, but it would likely be in a ceremonial position — the same pattern we have seen with Nyandeng and other ceremonial post holders in the country.
2. Majak D’Agoot (Former Deputy Defense Minister & Former SPLA Intelligence Officer)
Majak was a decorated military veteran who rose through the ranks under Dr. John Garang De Mabior. He was inarguably the strongest intellectual voice in the SPLM. He holds an MSc in Quantitative Finance from SOAS, University of London, an MA in War Studies from King’s College London, an MSc in Security Sector Management from Cranfield University, and a PhD in Financial Economics from SOAS. Majak is a respected technocrat and reformist who publicly criticized Kiir’s failed administration. He earned his place during the struggle as both a commander and an SPLA intelligence officer, given his war and security studies background. He had also served as Deputy Director General for Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS). Inside the SPLM house he was highly respected, and Kiir’s circle viewed his critique as dangerous to the throne, especially as he continued winning more people into the reformist group. He was well connected internationally with the West and held in high regard by technocrats and reformists.
Majak was arrested for the same reform agenda as Pagan. He was even harsher in his criticism, openly calling the government out for mismanagement and corruption. Kiir’s handymen, like Akol Koor and Marial Chanuong, saw him as a potential threat. Kiir considered Majak a smart and unpredictable individual, and he suspected Majak might join any alternative political plan that challenged his power. Majak was also a diplomat with strong ties to the US, the UN, and Western diplomats. This made Kiir uneasy, because he knew the West did not entertain corrupt regimes. The thought of Majak being close to these institutions gave Kiir sleepless nights. His love for power is not new; it has only fattened over the years.
After his release, Majak has not held any public office. He has instead devoted his time to academia as a distinguished scholar. Like Pagan, he continues to speak out on mismanagement and corruption, but since the rise of Kiir vs Riek politics and the economic crisis, he has lost much relevance. There has been hearsay about his potential reinstatement into the government, but from what I know of Kiir, that will never happen. Kiir knows Majak is too independent, outspoken, and unpredictable. He cannot risk bringing him back into power. Many key national figures still recognize Majak’s potential to steer the country in the right direction, but as it stands, unless national politics shift after Kiir, I don’t see Majak making any comeback.
TO BE CONTINUED…
