By Alan Clement
The commissioner of Morobo county has hosted an inter-county dialogue with CSOs from Morobo, Yei, and Lainya, including Members of Parliement to discuss development, governance, and security.
The dialogue, supported by IOM and partners, provided a rare platform for citizens and local leaders to directly engage with MPs, many of whom were criticized for not maintaining close ties with their constituencies.
The dialogue which brought together civil society organizations from Morobo, Yei, and Lainya Counties, four MPs, and representatives from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and its consortium partners focused on development, security, and the perceived disconnect between elected leaders and local communities.
Commissioner Bullen expressed concern over the prolonged absence of MPs from their constituencies, noting that some lawmakers elected since 2010 had not made any visits to Morobo. “It is my first time to see parliamentarians here in Morobo,” he said.
“At least in a year, maybe twice, you need to appear with your people, so they hear what the government is going on with. Most people here have no access to information, and we remain in darkness.”
Bullen also highlighted the need for judicial support, pointing to unresolved cases of rape and murder that could not be handled at the county level. He called for mobile legal teams to handle serious cases of rape and murder while emphasizing the urgency of deploying trained prosecutors to counties lacking judicial infrastructure.
Civil society representatives echoed the sentiment, citing limited access to national media and a lack of accountability mechanisms. MPs responded by acknowledging the concerns and attributing their absence to insecurity and structural limitations in government roles.
Speaking on behalf of the MPs, State legislator Maka Mustapha pledged stronger collaboration with local authorities and communities. “We shall do collaboration with the commissioner, and we want to see how that budget reflects Morobo activities. A lot has been spoken here, and we are taking it up. Morobo County is ours, and we are ready to be with you,” Mustapha said.
Development partners at the meeting echoed concerns about local representation with UNMISS representative Mawa David raising concerns about conflicting leadership structures, particularly the presence of unauthorized chiefs operating from Juba thus underscoring the need for authority to remain rooted in the communities.
“You cannot have a paramount chief in Morobo and another one in Juba. Many conflicts are created by people in Juba who have authority not given to them by the people here,” David noted.
The dialogue concluded with a collective call for stronger accountability, improved security coordination, and sustained inter-county cooperation to advance inclusive development in Central Equatoria State.