New bridge at Jur River constructed by Chinese government - Courtesy

A committee tasked to investigate the contested naming of a new bridge in Jur River has informed the Luo community in Juba that it is submitting a report to the Office of the President which will then make the final decision.

The committee made the remarks during a consultative meeting with members of the Luo Community in Juba on Friday, December 8, 2023.

The team was formed by the leaders from Western Bahr el Ghazal comprising five members to address the dispute over the name of the new Bridge in the state.

The Luo Community of Jur River County in the state has voiced discontent over the National Council of Ministers resolution naming Jur River Bridge after late veteran politician Clement Mboro.

Since October, some Luo Youth in Wau have been protesting the naming of the newly constructed bridge on Jur River after the late veteran politician Clement Mboro.

The angry youth argued that such a move would cause societal and land-grabbing-related insecurity in future.

On Friday, the community members held a meeting to discuss the outcome of the investigation which is now forwarded to President Kiir to make the final decision.

The committee’s chairperson, Honorable Kornelio Kon said the Luo community protested the naming of the bridge, based on the consultations in Wau.

He said the matter would be forwarded to the Office of the President for final decision.

“We went there and compiled our report, and we shall hand it over to Tut Gatluak and he will take it to the President, if the President wants to meet us, he will call us,” he said.

Mr. Kon said the proposed bridge name is not yet official.

“Up to now there is nothing that the bridge will be named Clement Boro, what Makuei stated, we were just responding to what people were saying, and that is not official.”

“This matter will go back to the council of ministers and will reach the President and another resolution will be reached, because that resolution was criticized, the cabinet will issue another resolution on this matter.”

For his part, lawmaker Juma Zechariah, who represents Jur River at the national parliament, disclosed that the decision to name the bridge was decided by the Council of Ministers.

Meanwhile, First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar told the people of Western Bahr el Ghazal State at the 7th Governor Forum, that naming the bridge after the veteran politician should not be taken along tribal lines.

Dr. Machar said the decision was taken on historical reasons, adding Clement Mboro was the first southerner to hold the position of Interior Minister in the then Sudan government in 1964.

Machar further stated that late Mboro also participated in the 1947 Juba conference which led to the creation of a semi-autonomous government in the Southern region.

Government spokesperson Michael Makuei confirmed that the naming of the bridge after Clement Mboro was decided during a national cabinet meeting.

Ebelio Gola, the acting Chairperson of Luo community of Bahr el Ghazal in Juba said the community is not against the personality of Clement Mboro.

“Our uncle Clement Mboro, no one can deny his achievements, no one refuses his presence in the state, he is one of our liberators, he is one of those who not only fought for WBGs, but all South Sudanese,” he said.

“Naming a bridge after him is even something very small compared to his contribution, the government should even name something bigger than this, like a university, hospital and so forth.”

“When you look at the history Clement Mboro has been named already. So the expression of people there is why can’t we take the example of Juba, which constructed a new bridge and was named Freedom Bridge, it was not named after someone.”

In 2020, the Chinese government offered to build a bridge for South Sudan and the national government agreed it to be constructed on the Jur River.