(BOR) – The Government of Jonglei State is under growing pressure to resolve disputes surrounding the creation of new local administrative units, after a wave of controversy followed the establishment of nearly 20 Payams and Bomas since July.
While some citizens welcomed the restructuring, tensions have escalated in certain areas, particularly in Goi Boma of ChueiKeer Payam, Bor County, where traditional chiefs were dismissed after raising concerns.
The Commissioner of Bor County, James Gai Makoor, dismissed three local chiefs, Aguto Chol, Mariar Maluil, and Angeth Noon after they expressed dissatisfaction with the administrative changes.
Their removal has raised questions about the limits of freedom of expression within local governance and the extent to which community voices are respected in decision making processes.
Civil society voices have weighed in strongly on the matter. Bol Deng Bol, the executive director of INTREPID South Sudan (ISS), challenged the legality of the dismissals, pointing to the Local Government Act.
The law specifies that officials may only be removed on grounds such as gross misconduct, incompetence, or incapacitation. Bol argued that none of these conditions were met, since the chiefs merely raised peaceful concerns about the process.
He warned that removing community representatives undermines trust and participation in governance.
“We call on the Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement to intervene and ensure the immediate reinstatement of the dismissed chiefs of Goi Boma,” Bol stated, adding that dialogue between leaders and citizens is vital to avoid communal disputes.
The activist further stressed that the people of Jonglei State, and South Sudan in general, need essential services more urgently than administrative restructuring. He highlighted the lack of road infrastructure, healthcare facilities, employment opportunities, and security as pressing concerns that affect daily lives more directly than the creation of new Payams and Bomas.
Appeals have been made to Governor Riek Gai Kok to prioritise these basic needs. They warned that continued disputes over administrative boundaries risk fuelling divisions and conflicts among communities at a time when the state requires stability. Chiefs, they argued, are a vital link between communities and government, and removing them for expressing concerns sets a worrying precedent.
