Michael Ladu Allah-Jabu, Mayor of Juba City - credit | Awan Moses/Eye Radio | April 15, 2022

The Mayor of Juba has disclosed plans to change the names of some of the residential areas in the city including Rujal-Mafi.

Michael Ladu Allah-Jabu also wants to rename Libas-Mafi and Atlabara because the names are linked to atrocities committed against locals during Khartoum regime.

He told Eye Radio that the areas are reminding Juba residents of bad memories.

Allah-Jabu said the names of the residential areas can be changed, if they remind residents of unwanted past memories.

He cited some residential areas in South Africa related to apartheid and colonial era.

According to the mayor, the areas were named in 1965 during political and security unrest in Juba, when women used to say get-out, no men here, when everybody was asked to come out to establish whether there were men in the houses or not.

He said there were many local bars, commonly known as Andayaat in Libas-Mafi, near Lobulet stream, Zuhur-Fateh, adjacent to Malakia.

The mayor added that many people who used to drink in that area, were found naked, resulting in the naming of Libas-Mafi, or no underwear.

According the Mayor, Sudanese soldiers used to go to Rujal-Mafi in Atlabara B, knock the doors to force some men to join them in fighting the rebels.

But, some women would scream, saying no men in the area, in an attempt to hide their husbands.

The Mayor said the renaming of the areas will soon be proposed to the Juba City Legislative Council for approval.

He told Eye Radio that the areas are reminding Juba residents of bad memories.

“I have a plan to change Rujal-Mafi, Libas-Mafi, Atlabara, all those bad names in Juba, we are going to change them,” Mayor Allah-Jabu told Eye Radio.

“Some of them that don’t have negative effects on us, we will leave them, especially for those who did us good. Up to now, there are [Andayaat] in Libas-Mafi.”