23 May 2014 - Strengthening the capacity of South Sudanese traditional authorities and commissioners, UNMISS held a one-day training in governance in the Warrap State capital Kuajok.

More than 35 traditional chiefs and six county commissioners attended the workshop, along with UNMISS State Coordinator Abraham Onifade, State Acting Governor Akec Tong Aleu, and parliamentary speaker Madut Dut Deng.

“When you are seeing yourself as a leader … first of all, you have to understand that people will not take care of you,” Governor Aleu told participants. “They want to know that you are taking care of them. If they know that you are not taking care of them … they will tell you that you are a failed leader.”

State Coordinator Onifade urged leaders to cooperate with UNMISS in assisting South Sudanese to achieve democracy.

“As a leader … use resources and don’t waste them,” Mr. Onifade said. “Whatever we have, we must make use of it with purpose. If you have a proposal, you will have strategy to impose it correctly.”

Warrap parliamentary speaker Madut Dut Deng noted that problems often came from counties. “This indicates that there is no good governance from the counties. You are not failing but institutions lack training.”

“If there is no justice in the court, no security, and people are fighting on very small issues, it means that the community has questioned our leadership capacity,” he said.