The duplicated leadership structure of South Sudan: the Case Bor county

By Philip Thon Aleu, Juba, South Sudan

April 20, 2015 (SSB)  —-   President Salva Kiir is the head of state; the Republic of South Sudan. There is no one, not even the most fearful religious leader, above him, according to our Transitional Constitution 2011. President Kiir represents South Sudanese including the rebel sympathizers.

Take one example, in May 2014 during the Oslo Humanitarian pledging Conference for South Sudan, Foreign Affairs Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin was the lead representative of South Sudanese including rebel officials who attended the three day event.

However, not everybody understands this and that is why there is a proud group calling itself Jieng Council of Elders. This is duplicated in other tribes, regions, Payams and Bomas in different codes.

Take the case of Bor county. The Commissioner is the head of local government in the county. Civil Administrator heads the Payam and his/her deputies head Bomas.

Then traditional, chiefs represent different sub-clans, communities’ sections excreta. Traditionally, Bor county is currently led by Paramount chief Alier Aluong. Alier was elected by head chiefs, known as ‘Alamaai.’ I must repeat that he is the overall traditional leader representing Bor county; an equivalent to the county commissioner appointed by the governor.

I am of the view that paramount chief Alier is even powerful than the commissioner because he was elected by the people through the head chiefs. President Kiir cannot use his decree to remove our paramount chief, leave alone the commissioner who is leading at the mercy of the governor.

But as that is not enough, another dubious leadership known as ‘Bor community’ currently positioned itself above the commissioner and the paramount chief of Bor county. This is duplicitous in my view.

If there is any issue that requires local government intervention, the county commissioner, currently Isaac Mamer Ruuk, is competent. For any cultural controversy that needs interpretation, Paramount chief Alier is entrusted with that task.

The ‘Bor community’ group should only act as a pressure entity and lobby behind the scene. Unfortunately, this group claim authority over the commissioner and the Paramount chief. Recently, Bor Community called a meeting in Bor and deliberated many issues of Bor county citizens for three good days. Though I was in Bor at the time, I never devoted my time to attend the meeting to the letter.

But I noticed the absence of chiefs representing various sections. Instead, some town dwellers represented various sections and sub-clans. This bothered me a lot and I asked one of the traditional chief his view about this. He plainly dismissed the meeting as ‘useless’ because, he said, it serve no purpose to elect somebody only be represented by a different person.

In essence, such vital gatherings ended successfully but with likelihood of no implementation of the resolutions. One such resolution of the Bor community meeting died before delegates left the hall at Central Star Hotel in Bor: – limiting the area of jurisdiction of commissioner and the town municipality.

I never imagined how anybody on earth would think of determining what he or she does not have authority! But that is it. Somebody thought about it and then it met a dead-end there and then. I am told the conferees also resolved to place a limit on dowry at 60,000 SSP only to be multiplied ten times a week after the conference ended when some bridegrooms were competing over a bride.

So I think it is time the intellectuals rethink about how to run a society. If being a community leader would mean serving people better, then the intellectuals should go to the village, get elected as head chief and consequently become a paramount chief to represent the people. But creating various leaderships groups would render the South Sudanese societies ungovernable.

Perhaps is it time for President Kiir to dissolve the Jieng Council of Elders? Can the Equatorians sit and decide on the so-called Greater Equatoria political group that has failed to even eradicate the effect of Guinea worm disease in Eastern Equatoria state? Or is it time for the Greater Bahr Al Ghazal to dismantle that body which has failed to address local internal feuds in Lakes state?

Some radical decisions should be made and save the country from dubious, duplicated leadership structures so that somebody in authority is held accountable.

© Philip Thon Aleu 2015

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