JUBA – A youth organisation representing the Panaruu community of the Ruweng Administrative Area has publicly challenged recent remarks by South Sudan’s Vice President for Infrastructure Cluster, Taban Deng Gai, over a long-running land dispute involving the Panaruu and Jikany communities.
In a statement dated June 14, the Panaruu Youth Association in Juba accused the vice president of overlooking historical and administrative realities surrounding Weth-Danluel, an area in Tuoch County that has become the centre of competing claims.
The association said Taban had previously maintained that his presence in Weth-Danluel was primarily for agricultural and economic activities and had acknowledged being welcomed to the area by the late Stephen Miabek Lang Miading, whom it described as having hosted him in a spirit of goodwill and brotherhood.
According to the youth group, tensions emerged when members of the Jikany community began settling permanently in the area under the justification that they were relatives and dependents of the vice president.
The statement further claimed that the area historically known as Weth-Danluel increasingly came to be referred to as “Manga,” a change the association said raised concerns among indigenous residents about identity, history, and territorial integrity.
“Such developments have generated concerns among the indigenous communities regarding identity, history, and territorial integrity,” the association said.
The group also took issue with what it described as Taban’s recent assertion that the name “Toch” carries significance in the Jikany language and therefore supports settlement in the area.
While acknowledging the existence of cultural and linguistic links among South Sudanese communities, the association argued that such similarities cannot serve as legal or historical grounds for altering established administrative jurisdictions.
“Weth-Danluel remains a Payam within Tuoch County of the Ruweng Administrative Area, and its status cannot be redefined unilaterally,” the statement said.
The youth body emphasised that it supports the constitutional right of all South Sudanese citizens to live, work, and invest anywhere in the country. However, it argued that those rights must be exercised with respect for existing administrative boundaries, customary land rights, local authorities, and constitutional procedures.
The statement was issued in response to remarks reportedly made by Taban during a wedding celebration, where he emphasised national unity and the shared identity of South Sudanese citizens.
While welcoming the message of national cohesion, the Panaruu Youth Association said the speech failed to address concerns repeatedly raised by residents of Ruweng regarding what they described as unauthorised settlement and boundary encroachment.
The association called on the vice president to engage in dialogue and pursue a lawful resolution to the dispute, urging him to respect community concerns and historical boundaries.
“As representatives of the youth of the Ruweng Administrative Area, we respectfully call upon Your Excellency to honour the wishes of the local communities, respect established boundaries, and engage constructively in resolving the matter through lawful and peaceful means,” the statement said.
The group reiterated its commitment to peace, dialogue, and coexistence, rejecting violence and appealing for a solution that balances national unity with respect for local autonomy, community consent, and established administrative jurisdictions.
The vice president had not publicly responded to the Panaruu Youth Association’s statement at the time of publication.
