Lam Akol - Life

Life

Formerly a chemical engineering lecturer at the University of Khartoum, with a Ph.D. from the University of London, Dr. Lam Akol joined the SPLA in 1986. In 1991 he joined Riek Machar and Gordon Kong to break from the SPLA and form the SPLA-Nasir. He broke with Riek in 1995, and became chairman of SPLM/A-United. He subsequently signed the Khartoum Peace Agreement with the government in 1997 and was appointed Sudan's Minister of Transportation, a post he held for five years. In 2002 Dr. Akol resigned from the ruling National Congress (NCP), and became a key member of the newly formed opposition Justice Party. He, with most of his militia, rejoined the SPLA in October 2003.

In 2005 Dr. Akol wrote a piece detailing his role as a negotiator on behalf of the late leader of the SPLA, Dr. John Garang, in the initiation of OLS.

In October 2007, the SPLM withdrew from the Khartoum government; it demanded, among other things, that Akol not be removed but kept at his position as Minister of Foreign Affairs, as he was seen as being too close to the regime. But on October 17, President Omar al-Bashir moved Akol to the less important post of Minister of Cabinet Affairs and appointed Deng Alor, a leading SPLM member (member of the SPLM political bureau) who had previously been the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, to replace Akol as Foreign Minister.

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