South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The newly elected Chairman of the Twic East Youth Association (TEYA), a youth-led non-profit organisation in Juba, Deng William Kuir Bul, promised on Sunday never to take the mandate given to him for granted.
Deng William, also known as Deng Junior, was elected on 16th June 2025, as Chairman of TEYA after years of relentless pursuit of power.
Deng Junior, the flagbearer of Twic East Forward (TEF), won with a total of 1,511 votes in a competitive and highly participatory election, which saw a high voter turnout across all payams of Twic East.
William competed against four other candidates, including Abraham Dut Atem Malek of the Twic East Alliance for Development (TEAD), who garnered 31.6 percent, and Bul John Ajak of the Twic East Youth Vision for Development (TEYVD), who received 14.1 percent.
Other aspirants included Khot Jacob Jok Ajak of the Twic East Youth Solidarity Alliance (TEYSA), who obtained 7.5 percent, and Adier Simon Deng of the Twic East Network Alliance (TENA), who also attained 2 percent.
William replaced Arok Dut Arok, the outgoing chairperson of the Twic East Youth Association (TEYA), who had managed the affairs of the association in Juba from 2023 to 2025.
Speaking during his swearing-in ceremony held in Juba on Sunday, Deng Junior pledged to deliver.
“I was once defeated, I was twice defeated, and on the third attempt, Twic decided to vote for me unanimously, and this will not be taken for granted,” said Deng.
Deng reaffirmed his commitment to work to fulfil his promises.
“It is a challenge for me that I have been given leadership, and I can proudly say that with the support of my people, my family, and the help of my friends and the South Sudan community, my leadership of TEYA will not be in vain,” he said.
For his part, Deng Dau Deng Malek, MP representing Twic East County of Jonglei State at the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, promised to support Deng Junior’s leadership.
“We will work with you, all of us as MPs, and if you have any project you want to work on, we will support you,” Deng said.
His long-awaited victory was celebrated during a colourful swearing-in ceremony held on Sunday in Juba, organised by the Independent Electoral Committee (IEC) led by Dr. Akech Awan Adit.
Thousands of Twic East youths, women, and political leaders gathered to witness the ceremony of a man who has come to symbolise persistence and resilience in modern youth politics.
The Twic East Youth Association (TEYA) is a Community-Based Organisation (CBO) dedicated to empowering the youth and women of the Twic East community and fostering personal and collective development through education, vocational training, and community engagement.
