New Council for Central Equatoria State to empower chiefs
By Skye Wheeler
YEI, Sudan, June 30, (Gurtong) – Some 80 Central Equatorian chiefs who
met in Yei town this week have formed a council to strengthen their position
and better represent communities during a time of enormous political change
in the South.
The council’s work will include protecting the rights of communities
to own land and ensuring legislation following the Southern Sudan Interim Constitution
and the Interim State Constitution are rooted in customary laws.
Alex Taban Loaba, an A-court chief from the Kakwa ethnic group was elected
chair of a 14-person executive committee. According to the brand new council’s
constitution, this automatically includes representation from all ethnic groups
in the state.
The paramount chief of the Mundari, Venansio Modi Wani was elected as treasurer
and Dennis Daramallo, Juba’s Bari paramount chief was chosen secretary
by the wider council.
The Council of Leaders of the Traditional Authority of Central Equatoria State
will have its seat in Juba and the executive will meet at least twice a year
said Wani.
This council follows the creation of a similar institution in March in Lakes
State headed by Chief Dut Arop. Conferences for the remaining states of the
South are planned to span over the next eighteen months said organizers which
include representatives from the funding Swiss Government and United States
Institute of Peace.
Except for the few who were leaders in the years before Sudan’s 1956
independence, the Yei conference created the first opportunity for chiefs across
the state to meet. Chiefs discussed how their powers were lost during conflict
and the following militarization of the South and numerous leaders expressed
disappointment with the new Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-led government
to come through on wartime promises.
“We kept food for the SPLA (Sudan People’s Liberation Army) …
John Garang said that when peace came the chiefs would be the first people to
be helped, but where is this promise now?” said one chief.
“We thought we would begin to get paid at the same time as the soldiers,”
said another who added he only hoped that upcoming elections would wake up politicians
as to needs of rural communities and earlier promises of decentralization.
Central Equatoria has suffered worse political divisions between traditional
leaders than many other states said a Sudanese analyst attending the conference.
This is largely because of the National Congress Party’s hold on Juba
in the war, during which time they paid chiefs from displaced communities living
there.
Some of these chiefs have continued to hold official posts and get salaries;
a lack of visible change and dividends beyond boomtown Juba have continued tensions
between rural and urban chiefs.
“(But) our message is for the people of Central Equatoria to come together,
these divisions from the war are to be avoided,” said Taban Loaba speaking
hours after being given the chair, “and the Government of Southern Sudan
much give services to the community - they must come closer to the community
now”.
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