Unity State has been left without a functioning legislature for more than two years, raising concerns over a widening governance gap and a lack of accountability in one of South Sudan’s key oil-producing regions.
The state’s legislative assembly has remained closed since it went into recess on Dec. 28, 2023, with no sign of resumption.
Lawmakers and civil society groups told Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday that the prolonged shutdown has paralysed oversight of the executive and stalled key functions, including budget approval and lawmaking.
Stephen Mawich Kai, chairperson of the assembly’s information and telecommunications committee, said repeated efforts to reopen parliament under former governor Riek Biem Top were unsuccessful.
“The assembly has not resumed, and no lawmakers have returned to Bentiu since the recess,” Kai said, warning that the delay was undermining governance in the state.
He urged the newly reappointed governor, Joseph Nguen Monytuil, to urgently reconvene parliament to restore legislative oversight.
Residents said the absence of parliament has left them without representation and deprived the state of essential services and accountability.
“There has been no budget passed and no serious work done by lawmakers since their appointment in 2021,” said Wal Khor, a resident of Unity State. “We expected services, but nothing has been delivered.”
Another resident, Nyakume Tuol, said the prolonged absence of lawmakers had deepened public frustration.
“They went on recess and never came back. For more than two years, there has been no parliament,” he said.
Civil society leaders said the situation has weakened checks and balances in the oil-rich state.
Simon Gatdet, chairperson of the Community Link Action and Development Organisation (CLADO), said the executive had effectively been operating without oversight.
“The executive cannot function without parliament. This is a serious failure of leadership,” Gatdet said, calling on the executive to immediately recall lawmakers.
Several calls to State Information Minister Nyakenya Johannes went unanswered.
The closure of parliament for more than two years has raised broader concerns about governance and accountability in Unity State, where institutions remain fragile amid ongoing political and security challenges.
South Sudan is governed under a unity government formed by a 2018 peace agreement signed by President Salva Kiir, opposition leader Riek Machar, and other political figures.
However, the agreement has faced repeated setbacks due to internal disputes, violence, and slow implementation, leading to strains within both national and state-level institutions.
Machar, a key signatory to the agreement, was detained in March last year and is currently facing treason charges before a special court in Juba.
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