20/04/2025
An Open Letter to the Honourable Governor of Jonglei State, Dr Riek G*i Kok
By Ajak Deng Chiengkou
Honourable Governor,
Warm greetings.
I write to you not merely as a journalist or a commentator, but as a son of Jonglei by lineage and by love—a child of the land that has given South Sudan some of its most formidable sons and daughters. As per our Nilotic tradition, I am humbly your son, and this letter is penned with reverence and a deep concern for the welfare of our people.
Permit me to first extend my heartfelt congratulations on your appointment as the Honourable Governor of Jonglei State. Though I was in Juba when the announcement came, time did not permit me to attend your welcoming. Nonetheless, allow me now to say—Welcome home. Welcome to the land of Ngundeng Buong, the 19th-century prophet whose voice still echoes in our political memory; Vincent Kuany Latjor, a liberation figure; Abel Alier, a statesman and former Presidentof HEC; William Nyuon Bany, a military leader; and Dr John Garang de Mabior—the architect of our nationhood. Jonglei has long stood as the cradle of South Sudanese liberation and the seat of sacrifice for heroes and heroine not mentioned here.
Your appointment by President Salva Kiir carries profound weight. You now lead a people bruised by history, yet not broken. The wounds of 1991, 2013, and now 2025 are not borne by one community alone—they are the shared pain of an entire State. Since 1991, Jonglei has rarely known a moment of uninterrupted peace. What began as political fragmentation has now been deepened by intercommunal violence, displacement, and natural disaster.
I recall vividly a journey while heading to Panrieng, eyes fixed through the window as we flew above Jonglei. The landscape told a story of devastation—villages submerged by floodwaters, families displaced, and hope slowly sinking with each rising tide. For years now, the people of Jonglei have lived submerged in floods and buried in hardship. Children in Ayod, D