Traditional chiefs in Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal vow to stop early marriages

4 Feb 2019

Traditional chiefs in Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal vow to stop early marriages

Emmanuel Kele

“We must stop early marriages!”

It is a both a statement of intent and a rallying call from Paramount Chief Mapiu Tong from Korok Centre County in Lol, where cases of early marriage are rampant.

Chief Tong was speaking at a two-day training programme for traditional leaders on customary laws and leadership skills, where he said he would translate what he had learnt from the training to his community on the ground. 

“I will tell them that we must stop these practices,” said Tong adding, “the new culture that we have learnt is very good because we need to respect and take care of our children and women.”

The two-day forum, which took place in Wanyjok town of Aweil East, was facilitated by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Civil Affairs Division, attracting 60 traditional leaders from Aweil, Lol and, Aweil East.

During the training, the traditional chiefs were divided into groups and discussed issues of customary and statutory laws, especially because these laws are not applied in harmony due to ignorance relating to mandates or jurisdictions. Now, though, there is promise.

“I was taught about customary laws and how to deal with vulnerable people like women and children”, said Chief Achak Agany Gumjuer of Nyamlel from Lol, emphasizing the importance of applying what he had learnt. “I will implement it immediately once I arrive in my court,” he said, promising to protect the vulnerable.

“The law is very clear we must respect children and women,” said Paramount Chief Joseph Ayaga Ayag, from Ayat West. He noted that children had rights, and they are the future of South Sudan.

“If we don’t take care of them, teach them well, the future will be bad,” said Ayag.

For Peter Makuach Kuol, Paramount Chief of Wanyjok, the message is simple and clear: “We don’t want children to be spoiled by adults,” he said.

“From today we shall refer these cases to the judge because it falls within their jurisdiction,” promised Kuol.

The team leader of the UNMISS Civil Affairs Division in Aweil, Khalif Farah, said the training was very critical for the traditional leaders because they would understand how the traditional conflict management mechanism used to work in the past and in the present; the role of the traditional authorities in the Local Government Act, and how they will manage challenges resulting from the division of the former Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal into three states.

The Acting Minister of Local Government of Aweil East, Daniel Akon, said the biggest challenge they faced was the lack of training.

“We would suggest training for the local government administrative officers in managerial and leadership skills,” said Akon.

The training recommended that the statutory legal framework should completely stop ruling cases which are purely customary matters, noting that this would help the traditional system to restore its credibility in the societies.

It also recommended that partner institutions in conflict management be strengthened by the government at all different administrative units so that they become effective complementing partners in conflict resolution.