By Ijoo Bosco
Eastern Equatoria State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore has cautioned citizens against tribal naming of residential areas and public institutions across the state.
Mr. Lobong directed all local government agencies to abolish the persistent practice of naming places with tribal names, which he termed as promoting a sense of dominance and invasion by tribes not native to the areas.
Addressing hundreds of community members during a welcoming ceremony on Wednesday, following his return from a stakeholders meeting in Juba about cattle migration, Lobong called on the relevant authorities to implement this abolition immediately.
“We don’t need people coming here claiming to establish their own churches or create residential areas solely for their tribe. Your neighbors should not only be from your own tribe. We don’t want to create villages within the town,” he said.
“I have also spoken about this in Juba, where many tribes claim pieces of land. This is not good for our country. In the whole world, urban plots are distributed to a mix of people, including South Sudanese, Kenyans, Ugandans, and others—not just one tribe taking up large areas like the entirety of Torit. This is not acceptable. I am urging everyone in the town, especially municipal leaders, county commissioners, and mayors, that when you allocate plots, names like Hai Lotuko should not be used. We need a different name to replace it because this town belongs to everyone. Similarly, names like Hai Dinka or Hai Toposa should not be used in our towns in Eastern Equatoria State,” he stated.
Governor Lobong also encouraged individuals and communities to establish schools and faith-based institutions but urged them to avoid naming these according to tribal lines, which could promote tribal tendencies within the state.
“If you open a school, give it a name that is not tribal, so that anyone who wants to study there can do so. If you need to open a church, give it a name that is also not tribal. This approach will help us move forward and foster unity in South Sudan,” he added.
Several communities from South Sudan and neighboring countries residing in the state capital, Torit, as well as in other major towns across the state, have been observed naming residential areas and public institutions according to their tribal lineages.
Analyses in Eastern Equatoria State indicate that Nimule town in Magwi County, the greater Kapoeta area, and Torit town are leading in the promotion of tribal naming, which needs to be controlled to prevent potential insecurity in the future.