Aguok community in Gogrial rejects legitimacy of new leader

April 1, 2016 (JUBA) – Community and youth leaders in the newly created Gogrial state, home to President Salva Kiir, have issued a statement declaring objection to the manner in which the new community leader was installed.

The local leaders accused the newly appointed governor of the state, Abraham Gum, and his deputy, Akot Abiem, to have unnecessarily interfered in the community affairs and imposed their business associate and financier of their political activities.

Makiir Gai, a business tycoon and whose interest to become the Aguok community leader has been the source of tension since 2012, was last week on Tuesday installed as the community leader in a function attended by the deputy governor, Akot Abiem, and largely boycotted by chiefs of the area, local youth and prominent community figures, including members of parliament at national and state level.

A joint release by youth leadership and traditional leaders, including a notable chief of the area, Ayom Wek Kuanyin, accused the governor of a clear abuse of power and called on President Salva Kiir to immediately intervene and remove the governor, asserting that governor Makuac was creating unnecessary divisions in the community.

“We call on the leadership of our able and wise president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, to act in the interest of peace, unity and harmony of our people,” the statement reads in part.

“It has never been in the history of community to impose a leader, not even at the time of British rule and successive Arabs regimes in Sudan. Traditional leadership was never politicized. It was the only unifying leadership because it is nonpartisan as it is neutral in all political activities but we are surprised the way governor Abraham Gum and his deputy, Akot Abiem, have been behaving lately, especially in the imposition of the selection of Makiir Gai as the community leader,” he said.

Makiir, the statement alleged, was rejected twice by the community “but because he bribed the governor and his deputy he was imposed but he was rejected and continues to be rejected.”

“His imposition serves no good purpose but division of our people, which is unacceptable come what may. Our unity can never be compromised,” the statement stressed.

Former information minister, Ariech Mayar Ariech, told Sudan Tribune on Friday that he was surprised the governor was involved in local affairs which are supposed to be non-partisan and free from local politics.

“Community leadership is supposed to be harmonious, cohesive, source of unity, love and support. The leadership does not need to be imposed. The community is allowed to freely decide and choose who they want to be their leader. But when a leader is imposed, obviously the result is division and this is what many voices, who have spoken to me do not want,” Ariech said.

Mathiek Riiny Ayok, a local youth leader also told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that the entire youth leadership does not recognize Makiir Gai as a community and called on President Kiir to remove governor Gum, claiming he was becoming” a divisive figure” in the community.

He said the governor should be removed in order for the community to remain “united, peaceful and collaborative as before.”

(ST)