South Sudan: What South Sudan's Mothers Teach Us About Political Authority
[African Arguments] South Sudan is approaching a critical moment in its political transition. Elections are scheduled for December 2026, while questions around constitutional reform, political inclusion and the faltering implementation of the 2018 peace agreementcontinue to shape debate about the country's future. As South Sudan considers what legitimate and accountable governance might look…
South Sudan faces a critical juncture in its political transition, with elections slated for December 2026. Amid ongoing debates around constitutional reform, political inclusion, and the implementation of the 2018 peace agreement, a group of mothers and grandmothers in the eastern borderlands provide an insightful perspective on political authority.
These women, known as the Kabarze, deployed unconventional methods to address escalating violence. In 2017, Murle grandmother made a bold statement, warning that if their sons and grandsons continued to engage in violence, they would first kill them. The women turned to song, dance, public shaming, and the symbolic act of maternal nudity to confront the violence.
The Kabarze, composed primarily of mothers and grandmothers, aimed to protect their children from the brutal conflict that had taken root in Greater Pibor. By forming their group, they sought to ensure their children's survival amidst the escalating cycles of violence, including cattle-raiding, revenge killings, and child abductions.
The Kabarze's approach involved collective action through song, dance, and public confrontation, which disrupted attacks, demanded cattle compensation, and forced young men to surrender their weapons. Their authority stemmed from motherhood, kinship, and cultural practices that young men and the wider community already acknowledged.
By invoking the power of maternal nudity, the women demonstrated that governance extends beyond formal institutions to include cultural practices, moral authority, and embodied forms of communication. This story underscores the importance of recognizing diverse forms of political communication, such as songs, performance, and the maternal body, in understanding governance and peacebuilding in South Sudan.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.