Background to Payam Reshuffle
Jonglei State began carving nearly twenty new payams and bomas in July to streamline service delivery and political representation. The redrawing absorbed Goi Boma into the freshly minted Chueikeer Payam, a move that split opinion among local leaders, residents and provincial administrators.
Commissioner’s Decision and Legal Basis
On 12 August, Bor County Commissioner James Gai Makor relieved Chiefs Mariar Maluil, Aguto Chol and Angeth Noon after they signed a letter rejecting the transfer. His office cited provisions of the Local Government Act that permit removal for misconduct, incompetence or incapacity.
Civil Society Critique
Intrepid South Sudan Director Bol Deng Bol labelled the action a heavy-handed response to ‘peaceful objections’ and appealed for reinstatement. ‘Is questioning leadership an offence?’ he asked, arguing that freedom of expression risks being misread as indiscipline when officials confront difficult conversations.
Community Priorities Over Boundaries
Activists say residents prize roads, clinics, jobs and security more than additional layers of bureaucracy. Bol urged Governor Riek Gai Kok to channel resources toward tangible services instead of map revisions that, he warned, may widen rather than bridge communal disparities.
Implications for Grassroots Governance
Traditional chiefs anchor dispute resolution and tax collection at village level. Observers caution that abrupt dismissals could unsettle fragile peace deals brokered after last year’s floods and cattle raids. A senior clergy member said stability requires ‘respectful dialogue between appointed administrators and hereditary authorities’.
Next Steps for Jonglei Administration
The Minister of Local Government is yet to pronounce on the appeal, though sources indicate quiet consultations in Juba. For now the dismissed chiefs remain influential among their clans, suggesting the debate over boundaries will persist until a negotiated compromise satisfies both custom and statute.