Traditional Leaders Profiles
His Majesty Adongo Agada Akwai Cham, King of the
Anyuak
I have to try to follow development,
not just hold my people together.’
His extraordinary life already the story of a television
documentary, King of the Anyuak Adongo Agada Akwai
Cham, is accustomed, if still uneasy with, press interviews.
I wait, for my third attempt at an interview, as he
speaks with a reporter from The Nation. It is my turn.
‘You heard everything, what more is there to
say?’ he exclaims.
Back in Sudan, he is more relaxed. His Majesty collects
me in his pickup truck, and takes me to his compound
in Juba. He starts with a confession. ‘My father
ruled for 58 years, from 1942. The king selects his
heir from one of his male children. Even my father’s
best friend did not know [of the heir’s identity].
When my father died…and I got the call…2000
was a surprise to me, a dilemma.’
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He hesitates for a moment. ‘I was a landed immigrant, in Ottawa, Canada.
I trained as a teacher, a mathematician, and I left Sudan
when the situation was very bad; I felt I was unsafe. I went
to Syria, it was not easy to get the visa. From there I went
to Cuba, spent 3 years as a refugee, before being resettled
in Canada.’
His new life was dramatically changed by his father’s
death. ‘After I was invested on May 2, 2001, I went
back to Canada. Then I left my family there in 2003. But my
children, they are there only for education. They know themselves,
where they come from.’
Unsurprisingly, following the reign of a monarch who led
for more than half a century is daunting. ‘My father,
he was a remarkable man. We have our elders who were with
him all these years. I am learning from the elders. But as
a person I have my own role, not always to follow him. I have
to try to follow development, not just hold my people together.’
‘A lot will happen. I will see development. At peace,
people are competing, to develop their areas. Neighbouring
tribes still have conflicts. In my time, to reduce these conflicts.
These things will be solved. We cannot build a country with
differences. We are one people, one nation, one nationality.
We should harmonise ourselves.’
Many issues appear to be in turmoil in the king’s mind,
a microcosm of the concerns of all Sudanese. Throughout the
trip, the other leaders look to him to voice their concerns.
‘The referendum…to avoid conflicts with the North…to
separate? To be good neighbours for the North?
‘Any dispute within the community can be solved by
the government,’ he says. ‘Not very strong, but
it is there. A commissioner has been appointed…I can
go to the government directly, to GOSS, to Riek [Machar],
to Salva [Kiir]…we need to give them a chance.’
‘For the Anyuak, we have a government with a cabinet
around the king. Not anyone can deal with just any issue [sometimes],
except for you. Right now it is impossible. The cabinet is
not educated. They only know customs and traditions. Rules
are not written. [Now] the problem is really the Ethiopian
side. We don’t care about these borders.’
Our discussion on education leads to its historical context.
‘In Sudan, every chief had to send his children to school.
The difference in the Anyuak was things were won from the
school. The importance of education was not known in those
days. We are not in a position to reach the level of quality,
but my advice is that every child go to school.’
Now that the tour is complete, he has definite ideas of the
next steps to take. ‘It was not just a holiday. We have
learned a lot, a lot. We will have some conferences in our
communities, a conference of traditional leaders who were
absent.’
His own lesson from the journey is both philosophical and
practical. ‘What did they [the hosts] advise us? Only
unity. Unite yourselves.’
The king’s conclusion is definite. ‘Ultimately,
in our traditions there is no difference. We need that link,
to have that improvement in every community. If we are united
as traditional leaders then all our communities are united.
We are trying our level best. But we cannot do development
without support from somewhere. I want my message to be carried
to organisations, governments, your government.’
