Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Youth Union has rejected the fact-finding investigation committee that was sent by the chairperson of South Sudan National Youth Union.
This week on Wednesday, a committee of three members from the national youth union were sent to investigate and address the crisis between the minority council and the executive body.
The members include Mr. Simon Yel Yel, Secretary General, as the Chairman, Mr. Puot Gatduel Bol, Secretary of State Affairs, Member, and Advocate Ajack Aling Dok, Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, as member.
Mr. Deng Chok Yai, the acting chairperson of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Youth Union says after lengthy deliberation, they resolved to reject the committee citing lack of proper communication.
“We resolved to reject the fact-finding investigation committee established on November 2, 2023, by Cde Gola Boyoi Gola for certain reasons,” said Mr. Deng Chok.
Deng cites that on October 31, 2023, their state union chairperson was arrested, tortured, and convicted for 1 month with 50,000 SSP but the leadership of Gola was not bothered to act.
According to Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Youth Union leadership, there was no communication about the committee being sent to their office.
“We were not aware of the visit and arrival of the committee to the state, we learned of their coming through social media,” said Deng.
In addition, they question that the committee sent by Gola is not well represented with no member representing Northern Bahr el Ghazal State in the South Sudan National Youth Union.
“Yes, the committee has a different agenda, why do we say that they came in late and what they wrote in this document are not clear; they say that they want to investigate different parties, what does that mean? We are not politicians,” he questioned.
In response, Mr. Gola Boyoi Gola, the Chairperson of the National Youth Union says it was unwise for the state union to reject the committee.
“If they have rejected the commitment then it shows that there is something that they are afraid of, and this proves that there is politicization of the whole issue. If it was an administrative issue, there is no way a state youth union can refuse a national committee,” Gola told Akol Yam 91 FM.
He says despite the rejection, the committee will carry out the findings and investigation.
“So that is it. The committee is going on, they are going to listen to the parties that are willing to give facts to the committee and based on that we are going to make the decision,” Gola added.
Since last year there have been a lot of misunderstandings among the youth union leadership.
