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LEADERSHIP ACCORDING TO DIDINGA
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'''CHAPTER ONE 1.0. THE DIDINGA NOTION OF LEADERSHIP Introduction This Chapter is going to be based on the Didinga of Komiri Payam (Chukudum) Budi County, Eastern Equatorial State (Torit), South Sudan. As the case study, the Researcher will discuss about the Didinga notion of leadership in Komiri Payam showing relevant types of leaders, characteristics, Just and Unjust leaders, how leaders are got among the Didinga of Komiri Payam, how they are trained and how leadership is kept intact, etc. Note also that the Chapter is much going to rely on the ideas of the people other than library consultations and research. The ideas indeed will be from the reliable aboriginals of Komiri Payam. Nevertheless, the Chapter will also trace the cradle land of the Didinga tribe in general i.e. how they transmigrated from their original home to the current one. Then it shall now narrow down to Komiri payam as our main area of concern and other main ideas in the content will then follow, however.

1.1. THE BACKGROUND OF THE DIDINGA PEOPLE

1.1.1. The Historical Background of the Didinga in General The Didinga are both plain and highland Nilotes who are situated in Southern Sudan, eastern Equatoria state at Budi County (District). According to their historical account, they are said to have come from their cradle land Abyssinia, the modern Republic of Ethiopia at the beginning of Nineteenth century, following the route to the south end of Lake Rudolf, via the current Turkana land west of the Lake in Kenya. During their mobility, the Didinga moved in the same direction as from the same ties of consanguinity. On their way after leaving Lake Rudolf, they settled for a short while; and when they evacuated the place, the Turkana named that spot “Nyatem ka Ngididinga”, denoting the ‘charting place of the Didinga people’ or the shade of the Didinga. So they continued their journey towards west until they landed on Mogilla hills at Lokichiogio in Kenya, Turkana land where they stayed for a short while and continued their movement westwards due to conflicts with Turkana and unfavorable climatic conditions of the time. They entered Sudan from South east and briefly settled at the frontiers of Kenya (South East) and Uganda (South) of which they respectively settled around Mt. Lotholia and Morungole. The land there was okay but still they were not satisfied. Since they were both agrarian and Pastoralists, they actually required fecund and pregnant land for inhabitance. So they moved northeast to Mt. Lotukei and proceeded to current Loudo Payam. For them, all land in Lotukei, Loudo and Komiri Payam was endowed with sufficient water, fertile soils, enough wild fruits and wild games. In the actual sense, the Didinga settlements were continuously pestered by the incessant beauty of the land with its endowments. Thus, they wandered about and reached a place known as ‘Haula’ in Loudo payam where they settled as multitudes. After ages, the Didinga orchestrated some hunting. They hunted and at a certain spot killed a gazelle, so they divided themselves into two groups. The first group was to fetch firewood and the second group which was dominated by the elderly old people remained behind to flay the game. However, they flayed the gazelle, collected some dry twigs nearby and cooked the game, because the group that was sent to fetch firewood over delayed. The second group was so impatient that they could not bear to wait for hours with the smell of delicious soup they had prepared. They then drank all the soup to quench their flaming appetites and reserving only meat for the firewood gatherers. No sooner had they accomplished the soup than they had arrived loaded with firewood. Indeed, they were perplexed that the beast was already prepared; with joy, they asked for their share of which they were only given meat, but when they complained for soup, the other group informed them that they had taken all and only meat was reserved for them. Thus, these people were disgusted, staged a quarrel and separated leaving those who devoured the soup at Haula in Loudo Payam. They preceeded North West towards Kimotong hills i.e. today’s Kimotong Payam where two people (a woman and a man) remained behind on the hill because they were exhausted by the movement. The two settled at Kimotong hills while the rest continued beyond until they reached their current land Pibor (Bor- Dinka land), where they became Murle tribe. In addition, the two people who remained at Kimotong hills generated their offspring who became Narim/ Longarim tribe in the North, just 33km away from Komiri Payam. Beyond Kimotong, Murle also left some people behind and they became lopit (Ternet Tribe). However, those who remained at Haula, the separation centre, scattered allover the area i. e. Loudo, Lotukei, Nagishot, Lauro and Komiri (Chukudum) Payam. It should diametrically be noted that Didinga, Narim, murle, Nikoroma (people of the mountain.), Lopit, Kachipo and Beir speak the same language with slight differences. As elaborated earlier, the cradle land of Didinga is the modern Republic of Ethiopia, however, they still have their sister tribes Nikoroma, Kachipo, Murle, etc, there. The second account is from Driberg research of 1918. Mr. Driberg said that the Didinga had spread into Sudan from Southern Abyssinia (Ethiopia) east of the Lake Rudolf. He added that the Didinga and the kindred Longarim/ Narim passed South of the Lake through the present day Turkana country and settled in the Mountains now called by their names i.e. Lotukei, Loudo, Nagishot, Taala, Himaan (New Cush),Chukudum, etc.    1.1.2 The Geographical Location

The Didinga of Komiri payam live on at least 2000m plateau in the Didinga hills east of Ikotos County, Narim their kindred north, Kapoeta Counties in the north, east and southeast direction, bordering Uganda to the south and Kenya to the east. The western section of the payam is irrigated by the Kidepo River emanating from Uganda South of the payam. The whole area is fertile with considerable and reliable rainfalls of 700- 1500 mm per year, and temperatures ranging from 6°c and 11°c annually. Four main Rivers surround Komiri payam namely: Idõto, Kidepo known as Lokidõõ, Lohucha and Thuguro Rivers. These render its weather favorable and they water livestock throughout seasons. Furthermore, Komiri payam as an administrative headquarters of the county, i.e. with commissioner’s office and other sectors like education offices, NGOs etc, has an assortment of different ethnic groups from all corners of south Sudan. In a precise manner, Komiri Payam is also surrounded by six other Payam as the headquarter namely: Lotukei Payam in the South east, Central and Loudo Payams in the east, Lauro Payam north east, Ngaric and Kimotong Payams in the north. For they are all answerable to Komiri Payam as the administrative headquarters. 1.1.3. The Main Features of the Economic Given the fact that the Didinga of Komiri Payam are gifted with reliable soils, climate and rainfalls, they profoundly practice both animal husbandry and agriculture. The principal crops that they produce are maize, sorghum, wheat, millets, beans, simsim, groundnuts, pumpkins, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, Cassava, bananas, sugar canes, onions, kales, cabbages etc. Besides, they too produce cash crops such as tobacco, Beans, Onions, cabbages, kales and others. In addition, it should be noted that the major commercial crop of the Didinga of Komiri payam is tobacco and Onions which usually fetch more money from internal and external markets. The people use rudimentary tools like slashes, hoes, digging sticks, pangas/ machetes and Ox- ploughs which have loomed predominant today for easy production of such crops. There are usually two harvest seasons. The Didinga of Komiri Payam also rear livestock namely local indigenous short horned cattle with humps, goats, sheep, Donkeys as well as poultry for both home consumption and commercial purposes. In addition, the Didinga of Komiri payam do some hunting along the Kidepo valley and other areas where they usually spend three to five days killing animals such as Buffaloes, Elephants, Antelopes, Bush- backs, Dik diks, Gazelles, Ostriches and rhinos. Bows and arrows, spears, clubs and riffles are usually used for this purpose. Parts of the preys are sold for income and the rest reserved for home consumption. They also raid their neighbors Topotha, Logir and Bira in the directions and the locations revealed earlier in this chapter. In the 1980s, The Didinga of Komiri Payam in alliance with other payams mentioned here earlier also extended their raids to Dodoth (Karamojong) of Uganda in the south of the Payam and even to the Acholi of Madi Opei and Akilok in Uganda, west of the Payam. The cattle’s rustling is the source of quick wealth to these people. Nevertheless, they locally mine gold as a major mineral in Lauro and Komiri Payams. The gold is locally sold in return of goats, bulls, grains, clothes, etc. As much as the Didinga of Komiri payam trade among themselves, they also trade with their neighbors, Turkana and the Karamojong of Kenya and Uganda respectively in exchange of Gold, Tobaccos, Marijuana, gourds and calabashes, grains, Cattle bells and weapons. In return of their commodities, they get bed sheets, goats, donkeys, soda ash, jingles, beads and Uganda waragi, etc. for it is of course long distance trade where traders move or foot for days to have their goods exchanged in the neighborhood (Kenya and Uganda). Some times however, people travel at the mercy of God since sometimes there are robbers ambushing them on the way, killing and robbing them of their goods. In addition, indeed, many have lost their lives here. 1.1.4. The Political Organization Sincerely speaking, the politics of the Didinga people of Komiri Payam starts from the grass- root, i.e. family level where the father is the head, defender of the family as well as the provider of the family basic needs. It is from here that leadership takes off to the general community. A man, who manages his family members well, is cited to having the elements of good leadership and is at any time qualified for a community leader. From the family level, the leadership of the Didinga now extends to “Nyakerehet” which designates a council or an assembly with chains of age- grades and responsibilities outlined. Men are ranked here according to the age and reputations they have in the entire community. Note that Nyakerehet is an assembly or a council of the Didinga people as a whole. It is where laws and orders are devised; cases of all kinds are also solved here. And it is from here that leaders are also nominated and elected. The assembly has power to elect and demote a leader. To be very clear, the council is usually opened after three years. A well-forested area is chosen by the highest age- grade away from settlements. Everything consumable is taken there e.g. bulls, emasculated he - goats, local brews and waragi, food, etc. This business usually takes two to three months. Not only that, elders as immediate persons in the community play greater role in the political organization of the citizens of Komiri Payam. They are involved in the nomination, election, advising and in helping the administration and the general community on how to go about the natural and the human problems that befall the community. Elders are so feared by the Didinga society because they also perform Spiritual services like offering sacrifices to the ancestral spirits and invoking them to bring blessings to the society, family members who are unwell, human and animals’ fecundity (fertility), soil and greater harvest. Nevertheless, landlords too, play greater and crucial part pertaining land issues. They sometimes ordain some piece of land not to be cultivated or else curse it to yield no fruits if people insist and do not follow their directives. Today, following the modern way of leadership and the government of the society, the Didinga of Komiri payam have also borrowed the system of chieftainship i. e. Habu. Since 1918. According to Driberg, the Didinga had given Habu (chief) the higher authority to care for the community in solving conflicts of all kinds and to intercede for his people elsewhere in any case. They had one famous chief known as Aluhileng from Loborkok clan. This chief was responsible for rain- making and spiritual services in the community. However, though the Didinga of Komiri Payam have chiefs, they still work under the dictates of the assembly, even if there are formal laws, they do not borrow all; the customary laws are more alive. Besides, the failure of the chief to comply with the directives of Nyakerehet yields his punishment by demotion or fines. This denotes that chiefs have no absolute powers, but the Nyakerehet has. Concisely, the Didinga of Komiri Payam had no permanent Military body, but it was and it is the responsibility of any male person to defend the society from any internal or external aggressions and conflicts. This is done voluntarily, and it is a bad manner to be passive and indifferent when the enemies are attacking the community.

1.1.5. Social Organization

Intrinsically, the Didinga of Komiri Payam are so cooperative, united and always care for one another. They speak the same dialect without variations. Generally, the Didinga of Komiri Payam are aware of their common origin as Abyssinia, the modern Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, they look at themselves as siblings; hence do their work communally and train the young blooming generation together. Among the Didinga of Komiri Payam, marriage is based on free choice. Parents take greater responsibility in advising the young in whose home to marry. A wife is usually chosen outside one’s clan, but a social position of a person and a family background is often scrutinized, if positive, then approval is made, and the reverse is true. Polygamous marriage as a sign of prestige is highly valued among the Didinga of Komiri Payam. For a person who has many wives is highly respected and feared than a monogamous man. However, the payment of bride-wealth is unlimited depending on the number of relatives that family of a girl has. In addition, a man who re-marries a divorced woman takes full responsibility of that woman and the children. No one comes to claim the children as his because of a heavy fine that awaits the one whose tendency is to do so. The fine is pronounced according to the number of children produced. It precisely means that once you divorce your wife, you lose twice, your offspring and your wife all together; this is what renders divorce difficult among the Didinga of Komiri Payam. Again, among these people, a woman who delivers stays indoors until the umbilical cord of a baby falls, after which naming ceremony is held with some drinks and edibles prepared, relatives and nearby neighbors are always summoned for that. A person who happened to have killed a human person, a baboon or an elephant, is not entitled to talk to a lactating woman before being given a piece of charcoal or grains, chew them, spit on the hands of woman who then smears it on her breast for precaution of her breasts running dry since the man had shed blood. The charcoal has no any effects but the saliva does. Above all, incestuous cases are much discouraged. When caught doing it, savage beatings or killing may occur to the culprits. In all, like any other tribes in south Sudan, the Didinga of Komiri Payam are divided into fifteen clans which are intermixed without specific clan centers or organizations. Each clan is subdivided into two but still bearing the same name. So the clans are descending as follows: Loborkok, Bulani, Chili, Lorangi, Mããjiok, Tããla, Lotuho, Kũũwec, Kuwãã, Kagũmi, Lõdyat, Mẽẽla, Lokuti and Irĩĩ. Besides, Didinga also have thirteen age- grades of which some are subdivided into two. Here is the source and the mother of leadership as discussed earlier, these groups make up an assembly and a council. Thus, they ascend as Ngicolomoru, Ngohinya, Miriciena, Nangolekorinya, Illaceta, Nacumahilenya, Matta, Natolojorenya, Ngetelwa, Ongolwa, Tagota, Natiretta and Olomet. Therefore, the chief age- grade among all the grades is, “Olomeet.” After every three years, new age grade is initiated at the Nyakerehet for two to three months. The last initiated age set performs and facilitate all the initiation activities. The occasion is held in a well-forested area with good thickets. All cases of initiation, crimes, clan clashes, choice of leaders, etc, are addressed and solved at Nyakerehet. Each initiate here is at least obliged to provide one of the following: local brew, goat, bull, ram and chicken, honey, Sesame or groundnut paste, food and others. In case of criminals, a bull or castrated he-goat is compulsory. It is on this note that the Didinga community is organized intrinsically. Extrinsically, the Didinga tribe of Komiri Payam is in good terms with her neighbors the Lochẽha southwest of the Payam, Narim the Kindred in the North, and above all Karamojong of Uganda and Turkana of Kenya. They trade together on several numbers of goods and services. All what is to be noted about Didinga of Komiri Payam is that, they are very humble, hospitable and God-fearing people. They never trouble their neighbors, unless they are provoked to defend themselves, they never encroach on their neighbors’ territories at all. The Didinga of Komiri Payam even hosts their adversaries if they come peacefully to ask for assistance without claiming for people’s lives. These people only and only react to the invaders e.g. cattle rustlers, property robbers and land grabbers. The Didinga hold that, “if an ardent adversary has come to your home and has eaten, drank and even shared some messages or stories with you, you should never attempt to take away his or her life, because the Blue Skies that we shall see under religious set up will also turn against you, and send misfortunes to your house. The reverse is also true to your enemy, if he turns his sword against you, it will also yield his demise or it will not kill you, but your sword catches him”.

1.1.6. The Religious Set Up

The missionaries (whites) came with their religion that they have given a heavy weight to be more superior to Africans’. For all African societies, have their religions. There is no any African community that does not have anything to worship at all. All societies have their religious beliefs. This confirms John Mbiti’s comment, “Africans are notoriously religious”. The main form of religion among the Didinga of Komiri Payam is the worship of the God of Blue World (Nyekuc chi Dith chi Chulaahi), followed by ancestral worship with regular sacrifices made over graves and river banks (streams) by elderly persons or magicians in case of any adverse conditions to the community, clan or family. Elders, landlords, diviners, magicians, rain- makers are usually chief mediators between the people and the God- Ancestral spirits because their voices and pleas are often heard and answered. Nevertheless, the Didinga of Komiri payam have no permanent Shrines for both worship and offering sacrifices, but in case of possession by evil spirits or demons, a wee (Small) altar is erected besides a door of a victim’s hut, then dedicated to “Odani” i.e. the good spirits who liberate people from possession. All these are always accompanied by local brew and either a ram or a goat for sacrifice. The common places, which the Didinga people associate with gods, are the rivers, Mountains, the aged, fig trees, and thunderstorm and thick forests. The supreme God who has no cult among the people is known by different names that are often used interchangeably. They are Nyekuc (God), Tamwahujen (The Patron of rains), Hetkujen (the sky above), Looc (world) and Dith chi Chulaahi (Blue Skies). More so, following the Biblical doctrine about life after death, the Didinga of Komiri Payam also believe in the inevitable immortality of the soul. They call the soul “Lori” which denotes shade or spirit. Hence, when a Didinga says, “Lori chi elemithi”, he or she means Holy Spirit. Miningit or Mining (ghost or ghosts) also exist and are counted as bad spirits that haunt people with misfortunes. Above all, the Didinga conceive that there are three worlds namely: Looc chi eet chik arugi (the World of the living), Looc chi Diakiahu (the world of the Dead), Ditha chi Chulaahi, Hetkujen, Looc and Tamwahujen (The Heavens). They believe that Hetkujen is responsible for down powers and everything beyond human understanding. In addition, it is always a disrespect to mention the name of the Supreme God of Blue skies for no reason. Didinga too, affirm that a person who dies, goes to the second world (the world of the dead) which they also call the under world where all souls of dead people and animals, poultry, etc, go. That all people, animals, poultry, broken gourds and calabashes, pots, spears etc, are there in their essences, but in spiritual forms. Moreover, that the under world is the richest with everything in abundant, there is no poverty, drought, famine and demise there, for all is joy. Lastly, what cardinally proofs the Didinga to be religious is the practice of Libation. Libation is the pouring down of any consumable stuff before tasting it as a pledge of awe to the gods or ancestral spirits. Is a sign of sharing with gods and the ancestral spirits. This is one of the manifestations that one can commonly see among the Didinga and that rectifies them as religious. For anyone who does not respect it, is a curse to the community and will have no enough harvest and lasting foodstuff in his granaries.

2.0.Didinga Notion of Leadership 2.1. Introduction The Didinga of Komiri Payam understand a leader as a sophisticated person, from a good family background, elected and entrusted to lead, direct, influence, represents and the mouth piece of the whole community under his or her care. He or she is a logistic of the customary laws and morals.  2.2.Practice of Leadership among the Didinga To the Didinga tribe of Komiri payam, leadership is as old as the age of creation. There is no clan or village among them that is without leader. Therefore, their leadership commences from the family level where the husband as the head of the family is the immediate leader deputized by a wife. Nevertheless, in case there is an elder son, he will then be the second head in the family, but girls are not recommended. This designates that leadership is paternal. Besides, most of the Didinga leadership is pre- occupied or concentrated in charismatic responsibilities. Rain- makers pray for rains by invoking both ancestral spirits and the supreme being of the Dith chi Chulaahi, landlords pray for high yields of crops, fertility of animals, people and averting all the misfortunes that have and which are about to befall the land. Their prayer is often to render the land fruitful, peaceful and healthy as well as people’s habitat. The position of the landlord is hereditary. It is for the gifted ones from the Blue world. There are no campaigns, nomination and election for the proprietor or property owners. On this note, elders also play greater role in the community leadership. They are very much respected and feared. They too are closer to the spiritual world of the dead; when they say some blessings or curses, something will happen, even if not immediately, but can occur in future. As the landlords, rain- makers and witchdoctors, they also offer sacrifices with prayers to avert bad omens and disasters. In addition, they are in charge of nomination and appointment of community leaders, advising and voting them out and above all in the maintenance and retention of culture with cultural rituals. Elders are inevitable in witnessing, approving the initiation ceremonies for the youth in Nyakerehet as well as ranking them accordingly. Women are not usually involved and considered here, for theirs is only to deal with housework of which a man has no much knowledge. Young men are responsible for cattle rustling which is the source of wealth and for defending the community from the intruders or invaders. However, in 1918, coupling with the coming of the colonialists, leadership among the Didinga was put ablaze in favor of colonial ruling mentality. Chiefdoms were introduced for the first time with imperialistic ranking and delegation of responsibilities. According to Driberg’s account, the famous chief among the Didinga in general was Aluhileng from Loborkok clan. The chief was in charge of rain- making, administrative tools and powers.

2.3. Types of leaders among the Didinga The Didinga of Komiri Payam have several types of leaders as follows: 2.3.1. Charismatic leaders Intrinsically, most of the Didinga leadership is deeply rooted in charismatic (spiritual) services. Almost all leaders of the community liaise with both the under world and the Blue world, e.g. rain- makers, fortune tellers, Diviners, witchdoctors, elders, etc, are all heard by God or gods when ever they plead in case of any problems facing the community at large. Nevertheless, each operates in his or her own capacity and limits without interfering with the others’ works. 2.3.2. Democratic Leaders The best example of democratic leaders that can be cited here are chiefs. They are democratically elected, they lead democratically with their limited powers tied down and dictated by Nyakerehet. For chiefs cannot devise any rules without consultation of the assembly (Nyakerehet). They rule according to people’s consensus. 2.3.3. Tyrannical Leaders The most tyrannical leaders among the Didinga of Komiri payam are landlords and witchdoctors. For no one can alter their demands at all. Even the assembly knows them and can plead to them in any case. When a landlord declares no cultivation and settlement in a particular area, no one can violate it; otherwise, one invites a disaster to him or herself.

2.3.4. Liberal Leaders Here, a leader gives freedom to the people to do whatever he sees as developmental as long as it sticks to moral obligations and the covenants of consensus. There is no restriction, brutality and oppressions, etc. an instance of these are still chiefs, elders, fortunetellers and others. 2.3.5 Family Heads According to the Didinga of Komiri Payam, the head of the family is the father, followed by an elderly son and then the mother. It is a compulsory practice that the father is the head and the leader of the family, but never a woman at all. It is from the family that the community leaders are chosen. This is to say that any one who leads his dependents well is liable to be a community leader. 2.3.6. Hereditary Leadership The positions of landlords, fortunetellers or diviners are inherited from parents or relatives. There are no campaigns and oppositions since it is something to do with inheritance of spiritual powers. 2.3.7. Hierarchical leaders It is found in the assembly (Nyakerehet) where people are ranked according to their age- grades. The more recent the age- grade was initiated, the lower it is in rank. It is manifested in administering of services that the top grade first and the lower grade last. This shows that the Didinga very much value hierarchy other than the mixture of groups that will not earn respect among the people at all.

2.4. Didinga Characteristics of a Leader For the Didinga people of Komiri payam, the following characteristics suit a Leader: A suitable leader comes from a rich family where people have many cattle, goats, sheep, poultry and many granaries full of grains that will enable him or her satisfy visitors from time to time. A suitable leader possesses very many wives where he faces and settles many problems. For this strengthens him or her to easily solve public issues without hardship. This designates that a leader should be a married person. For the Didinga of Komiri Payam, a leader is a person who is courageous with prior knowledge of conflicts management in the community. He or she should also be a person of measurable and recommended age of forty - fifty (40- 50). Above all, a leader should also be a God or god-fearing person i.e. respect others as they are, and participate in charismatic activities. Didinga also see a leader in a person who is approachable, cooperative, and simple, a teacher of others but not a ruler, kind, trustworthy, flexible, open and committed person. Besides, a leader should be a person who is both informally and formally educated and with good records in the society. Nevertheless, a leader is a person who is very magnetic i.e. draws the community trust, admiration and attention to himself. A leader to the Didinga of Komiri payam is a person who is a visionary man or woman. For he or she thinks beyond his or her nose. He or she should be a person who is energetic willing to work for the community tirelessly without complaint. And as well be incorruptible, social and indiscriminative. That a leader should be a person who is principally guided by the laws of the community as devised by consensus, but should not guide the laws and should not be the law of the society himself. That a leader should be a person who is physically upright without any bodily deformations, and should be a person who hears and listens to people’s problems as well. Finally, a leader is a person who accepts criticism and realizes his or her weaknesses without being emotional. He or she should see the reason as to why two or all the community members oppose him or her, and why he, as a single person opposes many heads. 2.5. How Leaders are obtained Among the Didinga of Komiri Payam The Didinga get their leaders through democratic election following the characteristics stated above. Elders first meet to discuss who should lead the community after which messages are sent to all villages to discuss again a person who is fitting to lead the people for some days depending on the need. After all these outreach, people then come for nomination and election. Many people can be nominated but the best one who fulfills the above characteristics, wins many votes and becomes a community leader immediately. A dance is usually organized and trumpets are blown to aware all the communities about the business and the meeting spot. When a person is elected in his or her absence and wins, dancers go to fetch and carry him to the meeting place. Whether a person accepts or not, the community declares him a leader. Above all, Didinga too get their leaders from the lineage of leadership, inheritance and age- grade as at Nyakerehet. Moreover, very influential persons always stand the chances of leadership. 2.6. How Leaders are trained Among the Didinga of Komiri payam Leaders are trained through allocation of tasks e.g. youth put in charge of livestock shepherding, garden care by scaring pests like birds, baboons, monkeys, etc, away and under the care of the young ones. The ones who excel are earmarked for future leaders. Further, leaders are also trained through folktales which is usually done at a fire camp at home in the evening after supper. Here, immoral and amoral acts are often discouraged whereas the good ones are always elevated, and the children who perform well here are at a time rewarded materially or by praise. In addition, the Didinga of Komiri payam train leaders through hunting and raiding from neighbors. I.e. ways of identifying brave leaders. Not only that, leaders are also trained through initiation at Nyakerehet. Bad acts, good acts are all corrected and promoted and all the rules and regulations of the society are passed on to the young ones here. More so, silent training or demonstration is also being administered i.e. where parents will ever take along with the young ones to attend a meeting, communal works and go for a journey as a companion. The young then imprints all he or she has seen in her mind and use in the rest of her life. However, leaders are also trained through songs that are against immoral behaviors in the community and favor the moral ones. These are usually done in Nyakurut and Lokemee. They prune the young to become morally good in their daily lives. Children are also brought up communally. Any member of the community who finds a young doing uncompromised acts punishes and discourages immediately. So it is a responsibility of all members of the community to raise good citizens and leaders. The Didinga community of Komiri Payam encourages children to grow together, i.e. share things in common. This discourages self-reservation and conservatism, hence moulds future leaders. Leaders are trained through parental advice. Parents often rebuke and scold the bad behaved children. They practically punish in order to reform their bad characters into the good ones. Youth are also advised to only and only associate with those whose family backgrounds have good records and with only those whose behaviors are fitting in the community. 2.7. Role of Leaders among the Didinga of Komiri Payam In the Didinga community of Komiri payam, leaders play the following role: They advise and direct people on what to do, when to do, where to do, how to do and why to do it. Further, Didinga leaders also settle conflicts and bring peace to the community they are in charge of. Not only that, they too, punish and arrest wrong doers in the entire community where people want to live in peace without problems. Leaders also set rules and regulations in liaison with Nyakerehet, which is the unit of the law and justice. Leaders ensure external relationship with an assortment of people from different cultural background/ Countries and defend their people in any case facing the community. However, leaders perform religious activities i. e. offering sacrifices, invoking the ancestral spirits and praying to God for the welfare of the society. Leaders organize and mobilize the community on what is to be done for its development and progress in all sectors. Besides, leaders are the representatives of their people in both internal and external matters that face the community. For they stand for the people as lambs for sacrifices. Above all, leaders also are in charge of retention and dissemination of cultural norms, hence hand it down from one generation to another. Finally, leaders treat the sick, lead people for war and protect the environment from any depreciation by man in a given society. 2.8. How Didinga of Komiri Payam keep leadership intact / complete The most cardinal way of keeping leadership robust among the Didinga of Komiri payam is to have an assortment of advisors i.e. two brave, one coward, one selfish, four honest and selfless, four rich and generous, one lazy, one shy and two dramatists who are all both men and women. Here, one will always get informed of everything ahead of time and act before things get to their devastation. The Didinga of Komiri Payam keep leadership complete through cooperation of the subjects and the leaders together without grudges among themselves. Leadership is also kept intact by keeping the confidentiality of the leadership. i. e. the secrets of leadership not to be spilled out anyhow but should be for a reason. By keeping of promises and time consciousness, leadership is also kept complete and strong without difficulties since there is no one misleading anyone by promising great things without fulfillment. The Didinga of Komiri Payam value regular meetings with their leaders. A leader who does not organize regular meetings is never a trustworthy one, because he or she makes people doubt him or her whether she or he actually leads the community with love, interest and commitment. Didinga are usually interested in hearing person’s voice talking to them even if that person is mean or not. To them, leadership is also strengthened through training. Leaders are trained widely in cultural norms and leadership techniques that enable them guide the community to its destiny. Nonetheless, implementation and evaluation of activities by leaders creates confidence among the subjects, hence trustworthiness. More so, good relationship with neighbors also earns fame and strength for leaders among the Didinga of Komiri Payam. Leadership is also kept intact among the Didinga of Komiri Payam through voting out of tyrannical leaders and replacing them with transparent, open and brave ones. For coward leaders yield the downfall of the community. Above all, by strengthening cultural heritages and studying of the positive cultural elements of leadership, the Didinga of Komiri payam are able to keep leadership strong and complete. Through contribution to the welfare of a leader as usual, the residence of Komiri payam are also able to keep leadership complete. Finally, a leader who is conscious of time, the man of the people and who loves sobriety, maintains his or her leadership with all its fame and strength. 2.9. Just and Unjust leaders 2.9.1. Just Leaders Among the Didinga of Komiri Payam, a just leader bears the following manifestations: He or she always is God fearing and spiritual. He or she treats people according to their human nature as God had created them. Besides, just leaders are democratic i.e. work according to the will and the welfare of the community in general without devising their own rules contrary to the community’s rules set through consensus in liaison with Nyakerehet. The just leaders are self-controlled, refined and accept servant hood other than being rulers of the people. Just leaders are impartial, learn from others or subjects, dedicated, unbiased, and self- sacrificed. Further, just leaders are incorruptible, not tyrannical, practice no tribalism and ever time conscious in their role. Just leaders keep people informed from time to time i.e. in case of any problems, they update the subjects immediately. Related to that, just leaders abide by the laws or the cultural norms that are only and only formulated from the assembly. For they do not go against them. Just leaders too, accept criticism and are ready to improve without reservation. Didinga leaders who refute criticism are no more than savage beasts. 2.9.2. Unjust Leaders. The Didinga of Komiri Payam love leadership and their leaders very much. However, they come to condemn a leader as unjust when he has contracted the following characters: When he becomes discriminative, chaotic, and corrupt and gives false promises, a leader is automatically condemned as unjust. Not only that, a leader in Komiri Payam is condemned when he or she does not hold meetings, becomes insincere, dictatorial, dishonest and when he or she commenced grabbing people’s property e.g. land, as King Ahab did to Naboth in the Bible. Nevertheless, a leader is seriously condemned when he or she becomes militaristic in commands, weak and not visionary i.e. sleeping. Again, a leader is condemned when he becomes exploitative, refuses to listen to the people’s ideas, bias and not role model to the community. A leader is condemned when she or he is stagnant or stationary. He who assumes power and does not visit all his subjects in his district is not a leader at all, thus condemned unjust because he is present and not available to the people. When a leader becomes laws by him self, punishes people without proper reasons, is not cooperative and becomes cantankerous, he or she is condemned and voted out. A leader, who becomes an adulterer, automatically becomes an abomination to the Didinga community of Komiri Payam, hence hated and condemned as a cattle rustler who raids his own cattle alone instead of a wolf to do so. 2.9.3. The Significance of a Leader A leader avails security and safety of the people and their properties by mobilizing young men and old alike to be vigilant in any case of external attacks from e.g. raiders, robbers, etc. Leaders are very crucial in Didinga community of Komiri payam in that, they settle tribal, inter- tribal, cultural and community conflicts. Not only that, they too, devise laws in liaison with Nyakerehet. These laws are for the good of the community at large. They retain, implement and effect the cultural norms and morality as well. A leader who sleeps makes his territory experience moral decay. The leaders of Komiri Payam also arrest, prune immoral acts and intercede for the community they represent in any case. They too, direct, influence, advise the community and perform religious services by offering sacrifices for the appeasement of ancestral Spirits in any case of adverse situations.They organize rallies, meetings and visits to other Payams in order to avoid being stagnant leaders who only want to move by vehicles and even a distance of ten minutes, vehicle. Thus, revelation of an uninterested servant to the community. 2.9.4. Evaluation 2.9.4.1. Positive Much as I have discussed leadership and the social life among the Didinga of Komiri Payam as more effective, I still appraise and encourage them to strengthen the assembly or the moral life in their society. Besides, “a tree without roots cannot stand or even cannot be called a tree”. The Council (Nyakerehet) should continue operating on the ground of ensuring and elevating the societal cultural norms that are recommended. For this, I mean, the leaders who want to succeed in their human administration among the Didinga of Komiri Payam, should cultivate that spirit of having an assortment of advisors. Being spiritual and administering sacrifices as can even be read in the books of Old Testament (Genesis, Leviticus,etc), even if our Christian sacrifice today is our lord Jesus Christ, the Didinga are not very far away. Informal training of leaders, love for work, i.e. both pastoralists and crop producers make the Didinga of Komiri Payam self- reliant, which is however recommended for all humanity. Others should actually emulate this example. 2.9.4.2. Negative Even though the Didinga tribe of Komiri Payam radiates many positive moral acts in their lifestyle, we can still discredit them on the following ground: These people are much interested in only looking at the failures of a leader. They rarely appraise the progress of leaders, but from time to time, and day to day alarm on weaknesses of their shepherds (leaders). The bride- price that is unlimited and demanding should really be rendered a limit, since it discourages many youth to get wives from foreign tribes who are not Didinga. Note also that, the issue of cattle rustling as a cause of unlimited dowries is astronomically equivalent to theft, and in fact, it is. Also to my observation, the laws of the Nyakerehet render a leader a stooge since he or she has to follow the directives from the elders (leaders par excellent) that set all the rules to favor themselves other than the rest of the community members as a whole. Above all, the issue of the rich, married with many wives and the generous to rule is a good idea but it is a fiasco When such persons do not fulfill the other characteristics of leadership as being kind, a philosopher (knowledgeable), honest and God fearing etc. Both sides, positive and negative, have to be cross- examined. For no man is an angel.

Conclusion As far as the Didinga of Komiri payam put leadership as old as the age of creation, it should never be denied that even the savage beasts have leaders, disciplinary committee and advisors. For instance, Baboon family, elephants, lions, Wolves, etc, are well organized under their leaders. Nevertheless, there is no perfect leadership in any case around the cosmos in exception of God’s. In every human administration and society, there must always be a problem of corruption, nepotism, biasness, racism and secularism. Moreover, all is human problem that can never be totally terminated since its inception from Adam and Eve our first human parents. Indeed our scuffle (struggle) to give a panacea to this should never be underrated.

By Jiot Abraham Benson

Cpyright@2010

Alokolum National Seminary Gulu- Uganda