Ambrose Riiny Thiik, head of the Jieng (Dinka) Council of Elders, a group of influential South Sudanese politicians and relatives of President Salva Kiir, walked of a recent public debate about the constitutionality of the Establishment Order creating new states and dividing the country.
The leader of the self-appointed tribal group walked out of the public debate organised last Thursday by the Center for Peace and Development Studies at Juba University in collaboration with the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO).
Kiir’s recent Establishment Order created 28 new states, eliminated the 10 constitutionally established states and mandated that all state MPs and all state governors must be appointed by him.
Ambrose, a former chief justice turned head of the tribal council, attended the debate last Thursday to defend the order. It was not immediately clear what prompted him to quit the public debate, which was also attended by the Presidential Advisor on Legal Affairs Laurence Korbandy.
But some participants at the event attributed the cause to a desire to avoid answering questions from members of the general public directed to him.
In an interview on Monday, Ambrose responded that he was not running away from debate but that he had another function to attend after finishing his presentation. “I left because there was another function I was asked to attend. But I also made it very clear from the start of my presentation that I went to the debate to defend the order.”
“My presentation was based on the benefits which come with the order. I did not talk about the constitutionality of the order because there was a government representative in the debate,” he said.
Ambrose also described the peace agreement as imposed and stressed that opposition to the Establishment Order is coming foreign countries with hidden agenda against South Sudan and its leadership. “But they must be reminded that we are sovereign state and do not need to take permission from anybody,” he added.
Photo: Justice Ambrose Riny Thiik (left), a leading figure in the ‘Jieng Council of Elders
Related:
Dinka Council of Elders hails creation of 28 states (6 Oct.)
Ambrose Riny Thiik denies having fueled war (10 Sept.)