Aerial view of Ulang County. (Photo: Courtesy).

A jurisdictional dispute has emerged between the Commissioner of Ulang County and the Community Development Committee (CDC) following a decision to dissolve the existing body and appoint new leadership to oversee the 3% oil revenue fund.

In an administrative order issued on May 4, 2026, Commissioner Maj. Gen. Justice Nhial Batoang announced the appointment of eight CDC members and seven secretariat members for the 2026–2028 term. The order, which followed the dissolution of the previous committee on May 3, cited the Petroleum Revenue Management Act 2013 and the Local Government Act 2009 as the legal basis for the appointments.

In a formal response to the administrative order, the leadership of the Ulang Community Association in Juba, led by James Banak Riang, issued a letter to Commissioner Maj. Gen. Justice Nhial Batoang denouncing the appointments. In the letter dated May 7, Riang argued that the Commissioner lacks the legal authority to appoint these officials.

Riang, representing the Ulang Community Development Committee, stated that the Commissioner’s order relied on an inaccurate interpretation of the law. He maintained that the Local Government Act explicitly mandates that County Legislative Councilors, as the elected representatives of the people, hold the sole authority to establish a Community Development Committee responsible for the planning and oversight of community funds.

Banak further claimed that the Ulang General Assembly authorized the current Ulang Community Association in Juba to manage these affairs, a mandate previously approved by the former Commissioner, James Riek Gatluak.

Despite the disagreement over legal interpretations, the outgoing committee expressed a desire for mediation rather than confrontation. Banak stated that his team is appealing to Ulang community members in Juba, Malakal, and Ulang to facilitate a meeting with Commissioner Batoang to resolve the matter and determine a path forward.

The 3% oil revenue allocation is a provision designed to support development projects in communities directly affected by petroleum production.

Ulang is one of the counties in Upper Nile State entitled to a share of petroleum proceeds. Under the Petroleum Revenue Management Act, oil revenue in South Sudan is allocated to ensure that host communities benefit directly from the resources extracted from their land.

The formula dictates that 2% of net petroleum revenues are allocated to the oil-producing state, while 3% are earmarked specifically for the communities living in the oil-producing areas to fund local development projects.