Traditional Leaders Profiles
Aly Verjee, London, November 2007
Introduction
In the summer of 2006 I was asked to join a delegation of
Sudanese traditional leaders from 6 of the 10 states of Southern
Sudan, as well as representatives from the Nuba Mountains,
on a study visit on traditional authority, visiting South
Africa, Botswana, and Ghana. Beginning in Nairobi, ending
in Juba, the group travelled widely and met a large number
of dignitaries, officials, and other traditional leaders.
The formal elements of the trip, and of the arguments and
examples presented during it, have been summarized in the
comprehensive report prepared by the delegation’s leader,
Dr. K. K. Prah.
In this work, commissioned by Gurtong and the Swiss Department
of Foreign Affairs, the focus is instead on the life stories,
thoughts and feelings of each traditional authority leader,
as recounted to me in formal interviews and ordinary conversations
conducted throughout this lengthy trip – we saw 2 oceans,
3 nations, 4 kingdoms and several thousand kilometres of air
and road travel! In these three weeks I was honoured to come
to know each of these individuals, and I hope I have done
justice to their lives and work with these portraits.
As a whole, the delegation found the trip, as they themselves
describe, a useful and positive experience. Many friendships
were formed and seeds of new ideas sown. This is not to say
that opportunities were not lost – the chance to learn
from the experience of Southern Africa leaders on HIV/AIDS
is a particularly striking example.
I have tried, in so far as possible, to have the lives of
this extraordinary group portrayed through their own words,
rather than becoming overly preoccupied with my own analysis.
As such, each portrait varies in its form and content, dependent
on the nature our conversations took. For the sake of clarity,
I have also refrained from getting myself and the reader lost
by delving too deeply into the anthropology and ethnography
of each individual leader.
All quotations are direct attributions, conducted through
original interviews in English, or in Arabic with the aid
of translation. I have not edited or sanitized any contributions,
except to add context or clarify the speaker’s intent,
where necessary. Any errors in interpretation or transcription
are my own.
I hope one day to again meet this remarkable group and witness
how their lives and aspirations have unfolded and evolved
since our first meeting.
Aly Verjee
London, November 2007
