Joint Statement on the Alleged Forgery of the Twic Dinka Paramount Chief’s Signature and Fraud Claims Against TECA-Juba Chairperson Gen. Biar Mading Biar Yaak

Joint Statement: The Truth Concerning Allegations of Signature Forgery Against TECA-Juba Chairperson Gen. Biar Mading Biar Yaak

By Makwei Mabior Deng Garang and Deng Duot Deng D’Ajur, Brisbane, Australia

(A) PREAMBLE

Acknowledging the sacred trust placed in Twic Dinka community leadership to serve with integrity, transparency, and unwavering commitment to truth and the collective welfare of the Twic Dinka people, and mindful that the Twic Dinka community was historically governed through a stable system of hereditary chieftaincy, with clearly defined rules of succession that ensured continuity and minimized disputes until the advent of British colonial administration in the nineteenth century;

Aware of the profound challenge of reconciling customary authority with modern democratic values, which prioritize majority rule, individual participation, and human rights over hereditary succession, and cognizant that this transition has disrupted the once-stable leadership order and, paradoxically, introduced recurring disputes and factional divisions within Twic Dinka communities both in the diaspora and at home in South Sudan, including Juba, Mading-Bor, and Panyagor;

Recognizing that the strength and unity of the Twic Dinka community depend upon the harmonious collaboration between customary authorities, political leadership, and civil society organizations, each fulfilling their distinct yet complementary roles and noting with concern the current political turmoil marked by conflict between TECA-Juba and Twic political leaders, resulting in the impeachment of a Twic Dinka national Member of Parliament and the revocation of TECA’s RRC registration in January 2026;

Deeply concerned by allegations of forgery and fraud that strike at the heart of institutional trust and threaten to undermine the credibility of both customary and civic leadership structures within the community and greatly conscious of the grave consequences that unsubstantiated accusations of forgery and fraud may have on community cohesion, institutional credibility, and customary authority;

Regretting the unfortunate involvement of Twic Dinka Customary Authorities in highly polarised and deeply divisive social media broadcasts, particularly through Pesahiko Media, which has raised concerns about external influence and deeply concerned by the departure from known community media platforms such as Liberty and Talkline media;

Reaffirming the constitutional rights to freedom of expression and assembly, including the right of association leaders to convene assemblies, assess the performance of elected representatives, and lawfully express votes of confidence or no confidence, while equally affirming the right of political leaders to contest allegations and defend their reputation through lawful and peaceful means;

Believing that truth is the foundation upon which justice stands, and that the pursuit of truth serves the highest interests of the Twic Dinka community, transcending individual personalities and political allegiances, and guided by a commitment to unity, justice, and the rule of law, and determined to present a factual account of the events surrounding the signing of the impeachment document that has caused profound distress and alarming confusion within the Twic Dinka community at home and abroad;

We, Makwei Mabior Deng Garang and Deng Duot Deng D’Ajur, writing from Brisbane, Australia, as concerned members of the Twic Dinka community of Jonglei State in the Diaspora, hereby jointly issue this statement to clarify the facts, address the allegations made, and affirm our findings as set out below:

(B) Introductory Background to the Twic East Community Association (TECA)

1. The recent live presentation on social media by the Twic Dinka Customary Authority, led by Paramount Chief Manyok Ajak Majok, asserting the rejection of any form of signature on impeachment documents prepared by TECA-Juba, has generated widespread and unwelcome debate among Twic citizens both at home and across the diaspora. This action risks undermining trust and weakening the functional relationship between key community institutions. When institutions mandated to serve the collective good enter into open conflict, the community as a whole bears the cost. At this critical juncture, marked by chronic insecurity, recurrent flooding, and the urgent need for relocation to Eastland, the Twic Dinka community cannot afford institutional fragmentation. These developments have distracted from, and risk overwhelming, the collective vision pursued by TECA-Juba in collaboration with diaspora-based TECA chapters to design, resource, and implement coordinated community programs and development projects in Twiland.

2. The Twic Dinka community has several leadership structures, namely, the Twic East Community Association in Juba (TECA-Juba) under Chairperson Gen. Biar Mading Biar Yaak and his deputy Mayom Bul Atem Bior; the Twic East Youth Association (TEYA) under Deng-Junior Kwir Bul Kwir; the Twic East Political Leadership (TEPL) under Twic National MP Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek Ayii and Twic County Commissioner Hon. Juach Arok Juach Ajang; the Twic East Traditional Authority (TETA) under Twic East County Paramount Chief Manyok Ajak Majok and his deputy Duot-Mang’ai Ajang Duot Bior-Kweigak; the Twic East Women Association (TEWA) under Madam Athieng Dau Toor Akwei; and the Twic East Girls Association (TEGA/Nyan Cit Arielbeek) under Ms. Muka Ahou Abit Arok Kiir.

3. Following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, which allowed the majority of SPLA/M members to relocate to Juba, the SPLA generals and political commissars from the Twic Dinka community appointed Maj. Gen. Dr. Dau Aleer Abit as the inaugural chairperson of the Twic East Community Association (TECA). He was succeeded by the late Molana Majok Mading Majok, who was followed by the late Amb. Gen. Bior-Aswad Ajang Duot Bior-Kweigak and his deputy Gen. Biar Mading Biar. The current chairperson is Gen. Biar Mading Biar Yaak. TECA under the leadership of Dr. Dau Aleer Abit organized and chaired the Twic East community general assembly meeting in Panyagor, during which Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek and Hon. Philip Chol Biowei Deng declared their candidacies for the general election. Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek emerged as the winner and became the national MP on the SPLM party ticket, representing the Twic Dinka community in the National Assembly in Juba, a position he still holds and for which he was impeached by the general assembly at the Twic Global Conference at Gold Orchid, Juba. Moreover, TECA under the leadership of the Dr. Dau Aleer Abit organized and chaired the Twic East community general assembly meeting at the residence of the late Gen. Bior-Aswad Ajang Duot in Juba, during which Hon. Philip Agwer Panyang Jot defeated Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek for the governorship of Jonglei State in 2015 during the 32-state era.

4. TECA under the leadership of the late Gen. Bior-Aswad Ajang Duot organized and chaired both the 2022 Twic East Global Conference at the BMC Garden in Juba, in which the Twic Dinka community exited from the Greater Bor Community Association (the BMC Declaration), and the 2024 Twic East Global Conference in Panyagor, in which the Twic Dinka community resolved to resettle their population on safer and higher ground in the East due to perennial flooding in Twiland (the Panyagor Resolution). It was also during the tenure of Gen. Bior-Aswad Ajang Duot that the Mabaach youth, in partnership with youth from Duk, Bor, Lou, and Gawaar Nuer, marched to Murleland in pursuit of their raided cattle and abducted children, marking the first time Dinka and Nuer joined forces to recover their raided cattle and abducted children from Murleland.

5. The current TECA leadership under Gen. Biar Mading Biar Yaak has consistently followed the legacy of the late Gen. Bior-Aswad Ajang Duot Bior-Kweigak by safeguarding the BMC Declaration against the forces of Borism within Twic Dinka politics and advancing the Panyagor Resolution against insecurity and perennial flooding in Twiland. This has been pursued through strategic partnerships with TECA chapters in Australia, the USA, and Canada, particularly via the highly successful Twic Global Resource Mobilisation Drive in support of the Eastland Resettlement Project. Against this record, it is troubling that some elements within the Twic Dinka community are celebrating the revocation of TECA’s operational licence, seemingly overlooking the association’s tangible achievements. These include, but not limited to, the resettlement and protection of displaced communities in Mangalla and Mingkaman; mobilisation of resources for dyke construction and maintenance; leadership in advocating resettlement to higher ground in the East; support for youth-led security operations in the East; the historic withdrawal of Twic Dinka community from the defunct Greater Bor Community Association; and the convening of the first-ever Twic East Global Conference to chart a collective path on development, security, and flood management.

(C) The Impeachment of Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek

6. The First Twic Global Conference, held at BMC Garden in Juba in October 2022, culminated in the BMC Declaration, formally withdrawing the Twic Dinka community from the defunct Greater Bor Community Association. The Second Twic Global Conference, convened in Panyagor in March 2024, produced the Panyagor Resolution, which resolved to resettle flood-affected populations on safer, higher ground in Eastland. The third Twic Global Conference was held at Gold Orchid in Juba on 11 October 2025; Convened and chaired by TECA Chairperson Gen. Biar Mading Biar Yaak, the third global conference brought together 3,290 members of the general assembly, including Twic County Paramount Chief Manyok Ajak Majok and his customary authority, national and state MPs, and elders, women, youth and Twic East community leaders from Juba, Bor, Panyagor, Malakal, Wau, Aweil, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, Australia, Canada, USA, Europe.

7. The Third Twic Global Conference was convened to deliberate on issues central to Twic Dinka unity, development, and political representation. Its agenda included the Eastland Resettlement Plan (ERP) for flood-affected civilian populations pursuant to the 2024 Panyagor Resolution; flood management and escalating insecurity; proposed constitutional amendments; and, most critically, the presentation of the final report of the church-led mediation between Twic East Members of Parliament and Twic community leaders.

8. On the agenda item concerning the church-led mediation between Twic East National MPs and Twic community leaders, Episcopal Church Archbishop Emeritus Dr Daniel Deng Bul Yak and Wanglei Diocesan Bishop Dr Zachariah Manyok Biar Mang’ar presented a comprehensive report on the mediation process conducted between July 2024 and August 2025. The report outlined the efforts undertaken, progress achieved, challenges encountered, and the reasons for the collapse of the mediation, including the disclosure that Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek declined at the final stage to sign the six-point communiqué intended to conclude and formalise the reconciliation process.

9. When the clergy explained that Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek’s refusal to sign the reconciliation document stemmed from his intransigent insistence on maintaining allegiance to the defunct Greater Bor Community Association, contrary to the BMC Declaration, the general assembly reacted strongly and moved a motion of impeachment by withdrawal of confidence against him as the national MP representing the Twic Dinka community. Following extensive deliberations, the general assembly overwhelmingly endorsed the motion, with more than 99.75% of the 3,290 members voting in favour of the withdrawal of confidence, and only eight members, approximately 0.25%, voting against it.

10. The withdrawal of confidence in Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek was justified on multiple grounds, including his persistent defiance of the Twic Dinka community’s withdrawal from the defunct Greater Bor Community Association pursuant to the BMC Declaration of 30 October 2022; misrepresentation and defamation of the Twic Dinka community; conduct unbecoming of a people’s representative and neglect of legislative and constitutional duties; obstruction of peace and reconciliation efforts between Twic MPs and community leaders; and alleged conspiracy against the SPLM in Twic East County, accompanied by abuse of power and political retaliation.

11. The general assembly at the Third Twic Global Conference, held at Gold Orchid in Juba, formally adopted a motion withdrawing confidence in Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek as the representative of Twic East County (Territorial Constituency No. 11) in the Reconstituted Transitional National Legislative Assembly. The assembly further respectfully appealed to President Salva Kiir Mayardit to consider appointing, in his discretion, a loyal and committed SPLM cadre from the Twic Dinka community who upholds the values and vision of the SPLM and prioritises the welfare and interests of the Twic Dinka community.

(D) The Signing of the Impeachment Document by Twic East County Paramount Chief

12. At the conclusion of the Third Twic Global Conference held at Gold Orchid Hotel in Juba, the General Assembly, which had overwhelmingly resolved to impeach Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek as the Member of Parliament for Twic East County (Territorial Constituency No. 11), mandated TECA leadership to draft the impeachment instrument, to be signed by the TECA Chairperson, Gen. Biar Mading Biar, on behalf of Twic Dinka residents in urban centres (Koch Rook), and countersigned by the Twic East County Paramount Chief, Manyok Ajak Majok, on behalf of rural constituents (Koch Baai). Acting under overwhelming mandate, clear instruction and time pressure from the Assembly, TECA prepared the impeachment document to promptly formalise and publish the community’s withdrawal of confidence in Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek.

13. Upon completion of the impeachment document and its readiness for execution, TECA leadership pre-arranged, in October 2025, to meet the Twic East County Paramount Chief Manyok Ajak Majok at his residence in Sherkat for the purpose of obtaining his signature, in accordance with the resolution of the Twic Global Conference held at Gold Orchid. The Paramount Chief had been an integral participant in the Conference and was not among the eight General Assembly members who opposed the impeachment of Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek. Accordingly, on or about 19 October 2025, TECA Chairperson Gen. Biar Mading Biar Yaak and his deputy, Mayom Bul Atem Bior, departed at approximately 3:00 pm, arrived at the Paramount Chief’s residence around 4:00 pm, and were received by Mading Manyok Ajak Majok, the Paramount Chief’s son, who ushered them in and offered refreshments (water).

14. Upon arrival, TECA Chairperson Gen. Biar Mading Biar and his deputy, Mayom Bul Atem Bior, found the Paramount Chief Manyok Ajak Majok seated outside under a shed, resting in the late afternoon at approximately 4:00 p.m. Present with the Paramount Chief were Dau Majok Ajak, his uncle; Mading Manyok Ajak Majok, his son; and Deng Riak-Magany Akoi. After the visitors were seated and offered water, Mading Manyok Ajak Majok excused himself prior to the commencement of discussions, leaving five individuals present: Paramount Chief Manyok Ajak Majok, Dau Majok Ajak, and Deng Riak-Magany Akoi on one side, and Gen. Biar Mading Biar with Mayom Bul Atem Bior on the other, as visiting representatives of TECA.

15. Following the exchange of customary greetings and pleasantries in accordance with Twic Dinka norms, TECA Chairperson Gen. Biar Mading Biar formally stated the purpose of the visit, as previously arranged. He informed the Paramount Chief, Manyok Ajak Majok, that the impeachment document mandated by the General Assembly and drafted by TECA leadership was complete and ready for execution: to be signed by the TECA Chairperson on behalf of Twic Dinka community members in urban centres (Koch Rook) and by the Paramount Chief on behalf of community members in rural areas (Koch Baai). He accordingly requested the Paramount Chief to append his signature in fulfillment of that resolution.

16. The Paramount Chief, Manyok Ajak Majok, initially acknowledged that the matter had already been deliberated and resolved at the Twic Global Conference at Gold Orchid. He, however, requested that, before appending his signature, he first informs his team by telephone in order to act transparently in his capacity as Paramount Chief representing rural constituents (Koch Baai). The TECA Chairperson concurred that this constituted proper procedure, ensuring collective awareness that the signature would be affixed pursuant to the impeachment resolution adopted at the Gold Orchid Conference. Thereafter, the Paramount Chief Manyok Ajak Majok contacted his deputy, Duot-Mang’ai Ajang Duot, the Head Chief of Kongor Payam and Deputy Paramount Chief of Twic East County.

17. Following consultations with members of the Twic Customary Authority, the Twic East County Paramount Chief Manyok Ajak Majok signed the impeachment document at his Sherkat residence, in the presence of Dau Majok Ajak and Deng Riak-Magany Akoi on one side, and TECA Chairperson Gen. Biar Mading Biar Yaak with his deputy, Mayom Bul Atem Bior, on the other, as visiting representatives. The TECA delegation departed at approximately 5:00 pm with the signed document unstamped, as the Paramount Chief’s official stamp was at the time in the custody of Bior Bul Akwei, the adjutant of the Twic East County Paramount Chief who was not present that day. On 21 October 2025, TECA leadership contacted Bior Bul Akwei, who collected the signed document between approximately 12:00 and 1:00 pm and returned it within about thirty minutes bearing the official stamp of the Paramount Chief, dated 21 October 2025. TECA leadership subsequently affixed their own official stamp on the same date, thereby completing the formal execution and rendering the impeachment document procedurally valid and ready for use.

18. Notwithstanding the completion of the impeachment instrument, TECA leadership, anticipating a hostile response from Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek, deliberately refrained from its immediate public release. Instead, TECA Chairperson Biar Mading Biar, Deputy Chairperson Mayom Bul Atem Bior and TECA Legal Advisor Molana Deng Akech-Ayang Ajak adopted a strategic approach by quietly circulating the signed and stamped document to relevant national authorities, including the Office of the President, in order to ensure institutional receipt before any attempt could be made to obstruct its transmission at the highest levels. Consequently, the impeachment document remained unpublished from October 2025, when it was executed, until its eventual public release on Monday, 5 January 2026, both in print through The Dawn newspaper in Juba and digitally via social media, an action that subsequently triggered significant political controversy, both within the country and in the diaspora.

19. Following publication of the impeachment document, Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek responded swiftly and assertively. First, he coordinated with the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) to revoke the operating licence and registration certificate of the Twic East Community Association in Juba (TECA–Juba), thereby rendering it legally unable to operate, on the stated grounds that the Association had become involved in activities allegedly incompatible with its registered mandate. Second, in apparent coordination with Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek, the Twic East County Paramount Chief, flanked by the head chiefs of the county’s six payams, went live on Pesahiko media, rather than Liberty Media or Talkline Media, platforms more commonly used within the Twic Dinka community, to publicly accused TECA leadership of forging his signature for unauthorized and unlawful purposes.

Conclusion: Twic East County Paramount Chief’s signature was not forged.

20. As established above, Twic East County Paramount Chief Manyok Ajak Majok signed the impeachment document at his residence in Sherkat, Juba, in the presence of Dau Majok Ajak, Deng Riak-Magany Akoi, Biar Mading Biar, and Mayom Bul Atem Bior. Moreover, at a live press conference broadcast on Pesahiko Media, the Paramount Chief did not categorically deny having signed the impeachment document, nor did he emphatically claim his signature was forged. Instead, the Paramount Chief repeatedly stated that Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek had not been removed from leadership, describing him as “our son” whom they could not remove. He further asserted that he and others had not participated in the impeachment process and that any document purporting to remove Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek was produced by others without his involvement, emphasizing that he was “not a party to it.”

21. During the live conference, the Paramount Chief’s account shifted. At the outset, he suggested that he had been made to sign the document; by the conclusion, he implied that someone else had signed on his behalf and that he was not a party to the signature. However, a verbatim reading of the Pesahiko Media broadcast shows that the Paramount Chief never categorically denied signing the impeachment document. A charitable and coherent reading is that the Paramount Chief did sign the document at his residence, as established by our findings, but later reconsidered his position. Unable or unwilling to state publicly that he had signed without knowing the document’s contents, he instead disclaimed involvement in the impeachment process, thereby unwittingly creating, in the eyes of the public, the impression that his signature and stamp were forged by the TECA leadership.

22. Our findings establish that the Paramount Chief participated in both the second Twic Global Conference in Panyagor (March 2024) and the third Twic Global Conference at Gold Orchid, Juba (October 2025), where the Twic community voted by an overwhelming margin, over 99%, to impeach their national MP, Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek. We further find that the Paramount Chief signed the impeachment document at his residence in Sherkat in the presence of Dau Majok Ajak, Deng Riak-Magany Akoi, Biar Mading Biar, and Mayom Bul Atem Bior. Our assessment is that, following the publication of the impeachment document in the Dawn Newspaper and its circulation on social media, the Paramount Chief came under significant pressure from Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek, leading to a change of position between the date of publication and his live appearance on Pesahiko Media. Accordingly, we conclude that the leadership of the Twic East Communication Association in Juba (TECA-Juba), under Gen. Biar Mading Biar Yaak did not forge the signature of the Twic East County Paramount Chief, Manyok Ajak Majok, as widely alleged on social media.

23. Allegations of fraud and forgery against TECA leadership by the Twic customary authority, Twic Dinka community leaders who are not only wise community elders but also sons of former great chiefs, carry serious long-term risks for social cohesion within the Twic Dinka community if left unaddressed. Since assuming office after the passing of Gen. Bior-Aswad Ajang Duot, Gen. Biar Mading Biar has consistently upheld his predecessor’s legacy, inheriting both his struggles and opposition. Rather than abandoning or dismantling that legacy, he has advanced it by safeguarding the community’s cultural identity, social heritage, and political interests as articulated in the BMC Declaration, the Panyagor Resolution, and the Gold Orchid Declaration. While alternative paths were available, including distancing himself from Bior-Aswad’s legacy or aligning with rival forces, Gen. Biar Mading Biar chose to act in the best interests of the Twic Dinka community. It is in this context that the accusation that he forged the Paramount Chief’s signature should be critically assessed and totally condemned.

24. In conclusion, there are a number of questions that the office of Paramount Chief Manyok Ajak Majok and his customary authority need to answer: What went wrong and what happened after the passing of Gen. Bior-Aswad Ajang Duot Bior-Kweigak? Gen. Biar Mading Biar did not betray the legacy of Gen. Bior-Aswad. Gen. Biar Mading Biar did not stray from the footsteps of Bior-Aswad. Gen. Biar Mading Biar did not give up Bior-Aswad’s fight and struggle for the best interest of Twic Dinka community, but instead inherited the enemies, troubles, and suffering of Bior-Aswad. Gen. Biar Mading Biar did not join the enemies of Bior-Aswad, and he did not join the forces of Borism within the Twic Dinka community who are hellbent on undermining the community and dismantling the legacy of Bior-Aswad Ajang Duot. Why, then, would anyone, let alone the Twic customary authority, dare to question the impeccable integrity and reputation of Gen. Biar Mading Biar?

25. The final point we wish to make, while not the central thesis of this joint statement, which aims to address the alleged forgery of Twic Dinka Paramount Chief Manyok Ajak Majok’s signature and stamp by TECA leadership, is to clarify TECA’s political character. TECA is a socio-political organization, comparable to GEMA in Kenya or AIPAC in the United States and has been politically engaged in Twic Dinka political affairs since its inception after the CPA. This role has been consistently upheld under successive chairpersons, from Dr Dau Aleer Abit and Molana Majok Mading Majok, to Gen. Bior-Aswad Ajang Duot, and the current chairperson, Gen. Biar Mading Biar Yaak. Assertions that TECA should be apolitical are inconsistent with established practice. TECA has been actively involved in key political processes, including parliamentary contests (such as the Deng Dau Deng Malek vs Philip Chol Biowei race), community-driven elections (including the selection of Governor Agwer Panyang in Juba), and the Twic Dinka community’s withdrawal from the former Greater Bor Community Association. Through TECA, democratic processes have repeatedly been exercised with the participation and consent of MPs, customary authorities and community leaders and delegates. More broadly, both TECA-Juba and smaller Payam-based associations have long exercised a legitimate mandate to organize political consultations and primaries accepted by the Twic Dinka people wherever they reside. Against this historical backdrop, the current posture of some members of Twic Dinka community, who now question TECA’s role despite having long acquiesced in, benefited from, or endorsed its actions, appears inconsistent and raises concerns about duplicity in the application of customary authority.

If you want to submit an opinion article, commentary, or news analysis, please email it to the editor: [email protected] or [email protected]. PaanLuel Wël Media (PW) website does reserve the right to edit or reject material before publication. Please include your full name, a short biography, email address, city, and the country you are writing from.

About Post Author