By Chol Makol Riak
The Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Jonglei state has intervened in the Jonglei civil society network crisis.
Last Month, Jonglei civil society network general assembly held a meeting with representatives of the 43-member organizations in the state and elected a new leadership of the network, a move opposed by the former leadership of the network.
On the 21st February 2021, RRC issued a letter recognizing the new leadership to conduct the activities of Jonglei Civil Society Network.
Tuor Majok Guech, Jonglei state chairperson of Relief and Rehabilitation Commission said the election of the new leader is in accordance with the Jonglei civil society network constitution.
“Jonglei Civil society network said that a leadership should have two years as a term and the former leadership was elected in 2019 December and their term ended on December 2021, so their wrangling is dated back to July 2021,” Tuor said.
Tuor said the commission has been trying to reconcile the members of the network with the former leadership adding that the former leadership makes it unbearable.
“We tried so many attempts but the former leadership was not cooperating with the members and was not cooperating also with the RRC, so we advise the members to wait for the former leadership to end their term in December and we advise the former leadership to conduct election in December 2021,” he added.
However, Mr. Tuor said the steps taken by the general assembly were in line with their constitution.
He stated that the RRC will direct the applicable authorities to call the former leadership to organize the hand over soon.
Bol Deng Bol, the chairperson of Jonglei civil society network said the move done by RRC is welcomed adding that RRC is the regulatory body of any NGOs in the state.
“RRC is the final authority in the arena of NGOs that are in Jonglei state being international or National NGO, all the conflict that ascends with or amongst this NGOs, it is RRC that finds the solution to it,” Bol said.
Bol said the election of the new leadership of the network is abiding by the constitution of Jonglei Civil society network.
For his part, David Garang Goch, the Former chairperson of Jonglei civil society network said he has not received a letter from the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission.
He said the intervention of RRC is politically motivated adding he is not handing over any office to anybody.
“Which office is to be handed over, we are not going to hand any office to anybody. How can we hand over our office to somebody that we don’t know our office as JCSN is still in its place?” Garang asked.
Garang said that it is not a responsibility of RRC to settle disputes of other organizations especially for the case JCSN adding that the grievances of the organization should be settled by the JCSN.