Madan Päri Ruling Age-set Should Steer The Päri Community Towards Modernization

(All Images Credit: Supplied by the Authors)

By Amaju Ubur Yalamoi Ayani & Mark Athuok Ubur

The recent inauguration of Madan Päri as the new ruling age-set within the Päri Community marks a turning point in our history. The members of this age set have taken over the reins of power from their immediate predecessors: Kinyi, who led the Päri Community for a period of five years.

This periodic transfer of power from one generation to another is enshrined in our customary laws. It is a cultural practice embedded in the Päri social habitus since time immemorial. The inauguration ushers in a new generation of leaders who must navigate the complex intersections of deeply cherished traditions and the exigencies of modernization in a nascent state like South Sudan.

As members of Madan Päri age set have assumed the traditional authority, responsibilities before them include maintenance of law and order to steer the Päri Community towards modernization, a steam engine for a meaningful development in the 21st century.

According to our oral tradition, the system of ruling age set handing over the reins of power from one generation to another started long time ago. Whenever a new leadership has assumed the traditional authority, its primary responsibilities always center around the following:

1) Security and safety of the community.
2) Food security.
3) Maintenance of law and order.

The Mandate: Leveraging Cultural Capital

Traditionally, the Päri Community believes in a dual system of authority: a hereditary chieftainship, which is commanded by a chief known in Dhi-Päri as “rwadhi-koth” or rain-chief/maker and the wegi-pac system. Everyone must pay allegiance to them and obey their authorities. For years, these institutions have been working jointly to promote social cohesion, order, and adherence to customary laws through checks and balances. Madan Päri, the current ruling age-set, ought to observe and adopt this revered power structure—a source of cultural capital that formal government systems—often perceived as ineffective because it lacks modern legal sanctions. Still, there is an inherent trust in these traditional leadership structures that serve as a catalyst in driving change and continuity not only in the Päri society, but also around the country.

Although the Päri traditional power structures are coherent and conservative, the new ruling age set must be willing to embrace critical paths to modernization. Modernization for the Päri society does not mean abandoning their cultural identity; but rather adjusting their governance mechanisms to tackle the twenty-first-century challenges, which the old traditional system could not address. Madan Päri must spearhead this adaptation.

The wegi-pac system, that literally means in Dhi-Päri as “fathers of the community”, per se, with its cyclical transfer of power inherently allows a diachronic shift in leadership perspectives, making it uniquely suited for progressive change.

As Madan Päri age set has assumed traditional authority, there are high expectations from the Päri people. The hope is that this new ruling age set has the potential to turn the corner in the management of Päri affairs: consolidate unity, promote peaceful co-existence, and ensure respect for one another.

Immediate Imperatives

The Madan Päri age set regime faces a litany of interconnected challenges that may require an immediate and innovative measures to tackle them. They are expected to hit the ground running to address the following challenges as hereunder:

1. Insecurity
One of the most immediate challenges facing Päri Community now is insecurity. Päri people are beset by numerous security threats, ranging from child abductions, cattle raiding, and road ambushes, mostly along Lafon-Mogiri and Lafon-Torit Road, respectively. The illegal firearms in the hands of civilians have spiked insecurity in South Sudan, coupled with the rebels marauding in the bushes of the country. Hence, Madan Päri must use their traditional authority to ensure these security threats are minimized by identifying, monitoring and responding swiftly to such culprits. Once culprits have been identified, then Madan Päri should explore several avenues in conjunction with the Lafon County authorities to handle such hot spots.

2. Hunger and food security
The Päri people, especially those at home, face severe food insecurity every year due to various factors: conflicts, floods and drought ravages. Since time immemorial, the Päri have been depending on rainfalls for crop production. Worst enough, they have never been practicing irrigation schemes to produce food, leaving them vulnerable to climate change paraphernalia. For example, when there is too much rainfall, crops are destroyed, and when drought befalls, crops scorch.

Furthermore, the monocropping is prevalent in the Päri society. Since the olden day, the Päri have been concentrating on growing the local sorghum known as “Nyithiin’. When this crop fails to yield, the whole of the community will face severe starvation, for alternative food commodities (cassava, Irish and sweet potatoes) are nonexistent.

To effectively address the perennial food insecurity in Lafon County, Madan Päri should prioritize dike projects to sidetrack heavy flooding, diversify seedlings, adopt drought-resistant crops, embark on communal food reserves, and coordinate with humanitarian partners to ensure emergency food aid reaches the most vulnerable populations in Lafon, thereby mitigating famine risks and building resilience.

3. Health care deficiency
Most rural areas in Lafon County lack functional health facilities, essential medicines, and trained medical personnel that often lead to prevalent morbidity and high mortality rates. It is, therefore, important that the current ruling age set – Madan Päri age set regime – should vigorously advocate for the establishment of primary healthcare units in various parts of Lafon County, by mobilizing local resources to construct health facilities. This should be done by collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure qualified medical personnel and a reliable supply chain of medical supplies are deployed and maintained. It is hoped that such measures may help in reducing morbidity and high mortality rates in the area. In addition, there is scarcity of potable water and the prevalence of poor sanitation in the area. All require systematic actions.

4. Lack of education
In Lafon County, there is an acute shortage of robust educational infrastructure, qualified teachers, and learning materials. These challenges have contributed to low literacy rates and limited opportunities for young people, which resulted in abject poverty. Moreover, youth in Lafon are trapped in an information vacuum, which often leads to manipulation and radicalization by rent-seeking politicians. To mitigate this challenge, the new leadership in conjunction with the Lafon County authorities should prioritize the construction of schools, mobilize learners, and advocate for qualified teachers’ deployment. For these measures to be implemented, the State Ministry of General Education and Instruction should motivate teachers to do their bits and spearhead the community awareness campaigns for parents and pupils to improve enrolments in the Päri land.

5. Poor road networks
Deprived road infrastructure is responsible for the chronic underdevelopment in Lafon County. For example, during the rainy season, Lafon roads are rendered impassable. Consequently, small businesses get stagnated due to insufficient stockings. Though there is little cash in the pockets of local residents, there are no goods to buy. For this reason, the current ruling age set should collaborate with the Lafon County administration to jointly appeal to the state authorities and other relevant institutions to fund essential road infrastructure. Once construction or rehabilitation projects get funded, the ruling age set should mobilize community members to actively engage in such ventures.

In addition, the Madan Päri age set regime should leverage its legitimacy as a bridge between the local populace and the formal government structures (local, state, and national). Establishing formal channels of communication with the County Commissioner and local authorities, for example, can safeguard coordinated crisis response mechanisms. The synergy between traditional and formal authorities can be a game-changer. Engaging formal institutions proactively will persuade them to consider the needs of the community, thereby preventing the Päri land from being left in the dark ages.

Conclusion
By seizing these opportunities and leveraging their foundational legitimacy, it is believed that Madan Päri age set regime may transcend their role of being a mere customary laws custodian. In fact, it is possible for them to play a vital role of promoting a peaceful, prosperous, and resilient Päri Community. They can demonstrate that traditional governance is not just a relic and a cultural heritage, but a dynamic, essential force in modern South Sudan. For this reason, it is incumbent upon them to ensure that continuity and change work in tandem with secure prosperous future for Päri as a whole. This may be a feat that would be a true feather in their cap and a testament to their leadership capability.

About the authors
Amaju Ubur Yalamoi Ayani is a South Sudanese teacher and political commentator. He holds a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations, a BSc in Political Science, and a Diploma in Civics. He can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Mark Athuok Ubur is a graduate from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. He holds a Master of Arts Degree in Project Planning and Management, a Bachelor of Arts in Management, a Diploma in Social Work, and an International Diploma in Professional English. He can be reached via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..