A group of youth and political activists in Renk County, Upper Nile State, on Tuesday, demonstrated outside the county headquarters demanding the resignation of the county commissioner who they accused of failing to implement their demands and development in the area.
Commissioner Dok Ghot Ngor is also accused of arbitrarily arresting youth and other activists.
Malik Angok, a community leader in Renk, told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that the demonstrations by civil society organizations and the youths in Renk to demand the commissioner’s resignation were triggered by his failure to respond to the community's demands on many issues.
“They accused the commissioner of illegally arresting youth and other activists in the area with no legal grounds. This is the main reason why the protesters are demanding his removal,” Angok explained. “They said the commissioner must go and also accused him (commissioner) of not implementing issues which have been resolved and agreed upon.”
Angok added: “The local communities have raised the issue of the 3 percent quota of employment in the organizations but nothing is done about it. We need our local youth to get employed.”
For his part, Commissioner Ngor accused some political elements in the area of instigating local youth to cause instability in the county.
“Some hungry politicians who want the seat of the commissioner are mobilizing youth in the area to protest. These are people against unity, peace, and the social cohesion that exists in Renk County,” Commissioner Ngor said. “They do not represent the people of Renk County nor the entire northern Upper Nile region.”
He categorized the group as failures and hungry politicians who do not know politics and said the local youth in Renk County have clear demands of which the local authorities are aware. He added that the organizations are development partners and are working with the local government to address the issues raised by the youth.
“We do support them (youths) so that their demands are achieved through peaceful means,” Commissioner Ngor added.
The youth in Renk have in the past repeatedly demonstrated demanding that they be employed by organizations working in their area.
Meanwhile, the Renk County Youth League denied links to the demonstrations calling for the commissioner to step down.
Naima Shuai Deng, the youth league's external relations secretary, said they had nothing to do with the demonstrations and pointed out that their demands are directed to organizations operating in the region regarding youth employment and not the removal of the county commissioner.
"The protesters do not represent the youth league and we do not have any link with them,” Shuai explained. “We are not responsible for any of their actions against the commissioner.”
Shuai warned youth against being exploited by politicians for personal interests.