The Bell

The Bell

🕊️ REST IN PEACE: SOUTH SUDAN MOURNS RETIRED BISHOP NATHANIEL GARANG ANYIETH KUR-JANGDIT

In a message by the President of the Republic of South Sudan, the president in a letter seen by the Bell stated, "It is with heavy hearts that we report the passing of His Lordship, Retired Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth Jangdit, who died on February 24, 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya.

The retired Bishop was a towering figure in the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and a fierce advocate for the voiceless. Known for his vigorous evangelism and his unwavering defense of the marginalized, Bishop Nathaniel was particularly remembered for speaking out on behalf of displaced persons during the country’s long war of liberation."

On February 25, 2026, President Salva Kiir Mayardit issued an official condolence message, extending the Government’s deepest sympathies to the Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, the faithful nationwide, and the Bishop’s immediate family.

“Bishop Nathaniel in his work was the embodiment of the gospel,” the President wrote. “He evangelized with vigour and stood up for the marginalized people whom he continually gave voice to throughout his career as God’s servant.”

President Kiir highlighted the Bishop’s courage during times of religious persecution in the former Sudan, noting that he will be remembered for his "loudest voice in defense of the rights of the Christians."

“While the entire country will miss his physical absence, we are all consoled that he is with the Lord he has served with all his strength during his lifetime,” the President added.

As South Sudan mourns this spiritual giant, we echo the President’s call for comfort for the grieving family and the Church.

🕯️ May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Dear Dr. Julia Aker Duany ,

With the greatest respect for your extensive academic background and your previous service in the government as Undersecretary, I must express my deep concern regarding your recent post. Your call for the President to "stop that shady court" is not only procedurally problematic but, frankly, demeaning to the very legal and constitutional principles you, as an academic, have dedicated your life to studying.

You, more than most, understand that a nation is built on the rule of law, not on the whims of individuals. The Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan (2011), which you have sworn to uphold in your various capacities, is unequivocal on this point. Article 125(1) states clearly: "The Judiciary shall be independent of the executive and the legislature." Furthermore, Article 125(4) mandates that the Judiciary "shall be subject to this Constitution and the law which the Judges shall apply impartially and without political interference, fear or favour."

By labeling a constitutional process a "shady court" and demanding its cessation by executive fiat, you are inadvertently arguing for the very executive overreach that has historically undermined our institutions. You are asking the President to violate the foundational legal document of our nation. It is precisely this type of interference—where the executive dictates judicial outcomes—that has been a primary obstacle to the rule of law in South Sudan.

We must also ground this discussion in the facts that have led to the current legal proceedings. Dr. Riek Machar and his co-accused are facing criminal charges directly related to the Nasir incident, a violent attack that resulted in the tragic loss of close to 300 innocent lives and the destruction of properties worth millions of dollars. The forces responsible for this attack were under the command of Dr. Machar and his co-accused. These are not trivial political disagreements; they are grave criminal allegations that demand due process under the law. To dismiss these proceedings as merely "shady" is to disregard the memory of those who lost their lives and the suffering of the communities whose homes and livelihoods were destroyed.

You invoke the statement from the African Union's C5 committee. Let us examine what that statement, issued on February 15, 2026, actually says. The AU declaration explicitly calls for "a release of political detainees, and this should also include people like the Vice President Riek Machar who is going through various processes of a legal nature." The phrasing is critical: "who is going through various processes of a legal nature." The African Union itself acknowledges that Dr. Machar is subject to a legal process. It is calling for a political solution—his release—to resolve a political crisis, but it does not declare the court itself to be illegitimate or "shady" under South Sudanese law. You are conflating a political disagreement with a judicial process concerning serious criminal acts.

If the proceedings against Dr. Machar are flawed, the remedy is not for the President to unilaterally shut them down. That would be a return to authoritarianism, not a step toward democracy. The remedy is an appeal, a judicial review, or a political solution negotiated in good faith within the framework of the law. To suggest that one man should simply "stop" a constitutional process is to admit that we have no constitution at all—only a ruler.

You ask, "Why not allow democratic processes for political competition?" I agree wholeheartedly. But democratic processes include not just elections, but also an independent judiciary that functions without executive interference. You cannot call for democracy while simultaneously calling for the executive to shutter a court. Justice for the victims of Nasir, as well as the stability of our nation, demands that the legal process be allowed to run its course, free from political manipulation from any quarter.

We all want peace and an end to the suffering of our people. But the path to that peace cannot be paved with the destruction of the very institutions we need to sustain it. We must respect the independence of the judiciary, even when we disagree with its existence in a particular case, or we will find ourselves with no country left to save.

God bless the people of South Sudan.

By Marial-Thith
A citizen of

The Politics of “Nak Muor Ca Mar Nak” as Practiced by Some SPLM/SPLA-IO Leaders in Nuer Areas.

By Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth

January 24, 2026

The Nuer people were instrumental in the liberation of this country. They are a loving, brave, and dignified community, and they should never be collectively associated with the wrongdoings of a few individuals in Leadership. I love my Nuer people, and I respect their historical role in the birth of the Republic of South Sudan.

However, some SPLA-IO Leaders such as Deng Bol Aruai Bol, Juol Nhomngek Gech Thou, Dhiling Keah, and Yiey Dak Wei are practicing a dangerous politics similar to the old story of the Black Crow (Jakok Car) and the White-Necked Crow (Jakok Rol) in Nuer history.

In that story, the white-necked crow deceived the black crow by claiming, “I killed my mother so I am now free. You should kill yours too so that you are free from her stress.”
The white-necked crow, however, had only hidden its mother. The foolish black crow killed its own mother. When it returned to report, it found the white-necked crow with its mother alive. That betrayal shocked the black crow and it is said to mourn to this day, wearing black feathers as a symbol of deception and regret.

This is exactly what is happening today.

Some SPLA-IO leaders are encouraging communities to fight, die, and destroy themselves, while their own areas remain peaceful, stable, and developing. They send others to war while they enjoy safety.

Take Deng Bol as an example: he encourages fighting in Lou Nuer areas, yet his home in Twic East County has no war. When SPLA-IO elements and small White Army criminals entered Pajut Payam, they ran out of "toc" (lalop seeds), food, and supplies. Deng Bol could not even reinforce them with basic food and water let alone real human or logistical support. Then the SPLA IO and small White Army bandits left and withdrew from Pajut Payam to Pathai Payam of Uror County because there was no food in Pajut Payam to sustain them.

The same applies to Leer County of Unity State where Riek Machar Teny is from. It is relatively calm, yet Dhiling Keah and Yiey Dak Wei from Leer County continue to incite others to fight.

The same pattern exists in Gok County under Juol Nhomngek.

This is not leadership, it is exploitation!

Do not encourage other people’s children to die while your own communities live in peace. Do not export war and import peace. Do not build safety for yourselves and graves for others.

Let us support peace so that development can reach these areas.
Let us stop denying innocent communities the peace and progress they deserve.

The endless fight for political seats spearheaded by Riek Machar Teny from 1991 to 2026 cannot continue to send our people to early graves. Power hunger cannot remain the national ideology of our suffering.

We must bring this cycle to an end.
We must bring war politics to an end.
And we must bring power-hungry leaders to political retirement for the sake of our people and the future of the Republic of South Sudan.

Democracy without violence should be the order of the day to elect Leaders and bring them to power not wars.

The Bell,
8th January 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

South Sudan Government Revokes Registration of Twic East Community Association (TECA)

JUBA, South Sudan – January 7, 2026 – In a decisive move, the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) of South Sudan has formally dissolved the registration of the Twic East Community Association (TECA), a community-based organization.

The revocation order, issued directly by Chief Registrar of NGOs Wol Dhieu Akujang, cites a resolution passed by TECA leadership on October 11, 2025, titled "Withdraw confidence in Hon. Deng Dau Deng Malek, MP for Twic East." The RRC's Office of the Chief Registrar states this action is "more political than humanitarian" and therefore violates the Non-Governmental Organizations Act of 2016, which governs such groups.

The letter, dated today, declares the revocation effective immediately and demands that TECA's leadership surrender its official RRC registration certificate and constitution to the authorities.

TECA had been registered as a non-profit, non-political association since February 19, 2021. The decision highlights the government's strict interpretation of the line between community-based humanitarian work and political activity, raising immediate questions about the space for civil society to comment on or critique political representatives from their own communities.

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀:

· 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱: Twic East Community Association (TECA)
· 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆: Office of the Chief Registrar of NGOs, Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC)
· 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱: Passing a political resolution against a sitting Member of Parliament, violating the NGOs Act 2016.
· 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: Immediate (January 7, 2026)
· 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱: TECA must hand over its registration certificate and constitution.

The move is likely to spark debate on the boundaries of civil society engagement in South Sudan and the implications for other community associations. There has been no immediate public response yet from TECA's leadership.