File Photo: Issa Muzamil, a prominent lawyer who was briefly held by police in Juba on July 3, 2019

Members of the South Sudan Bar Association have elected Advocate Issa Muzamil their chairperson.

The Bar Association had been witnessing leadership wrangles which led to the emergence of various splinter groups.

But three months ago, leaders of the different groups agreed to work together and organize an election to have a new executive body.

Ajo Noel Julius, who is the chairperson of the electoral committee, says Issa Muzamil beat lawyer Abraham Biar to win the election on Thursday.

He says the election has now settled all the differences that existed among the lawyers.

“All people were given the opportunity to contest for the various positions, and we conducted the process that was free, fair and creditable. And one person was able to succeed and become the president and that is Issa Muzamil,” Noel told Eye Radio on Friday.

But the general assembly was boycotted by a section of lawyers from the Bahr el Ghazal region.

They claimed that they were not informed about activities of the Bar.

However, Noel said concerns raised against the previous body will be handled by the new executive body.

“I believe that the new leadership that was voted in yesterday will now go and do their work to ensure that everybody is included and the Bar will be very inclusive for everybody,” he added.

Some of the other media practitioners who complained of being asked to participate on short notice are in Yei, Torit, Malakal, and Renk.