RRC deregisters Twic East Community Association over political involvement

BOR – The Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) has revoked the registration certificate of the Twic East Community Association (TECA), citing violations of the NGO Act 2016 related to prohibited political engagement.

In an official letter dated January 7, 2026, the Office of the Chief Registrar of NGOs informed TECA’s leadership that the association’s registration, originally granted on February 19, 2021, had been cancelled with immediate effect.

TECA was registered as a non-profit, non-political community-based organisation, a status that legally bars it from engaging in partisan or political activities.

According to the RRC, the decision followed a resolution passed by TECA on October 11, 2025, titled “Withdrawal of confidence in Deng Dau Deng Malek, MP for Twic East.” The commission determined that the resolution constituted a political action and therefore fell outside the association’s approved mandate.

Wol Dhieu Akujang, the Chief Registrar of NGOs, said the move breached the legal framework governing registered civil society organizations. “The resolution is more political than humanitarian and therefore constitutes a violation of the NGO Act 2016,” the letter stated. “Consequently, the Office of the Chief Registrar of NGOs revokes TECA’s registration certificate with immediate effect from the date of this letter.”

The lawmaker named in the resolution, Deng Dau Deng Malek, is the elected Member of Parliament representing Twic East. The RRC concluded that publicly withdrawing confidence in an elected official amounts to direct political participation, an activity prohibited for registered community associations and non-governmental organizations.

As part of the administrative action, the RRC directed TECA’s leadership to surrender its registration certificate and organizational constitution to the Office of the Chief Registrar of NGOs in Juba.

The commission reiterated that all registered NGOs and community-based organizations must strictly adhere to their approved objectives and maintain political neutrality to retain their legal status. Failure to comply, it warned, exposes organisations to sanctions ranging from suspension to deregistration.

In October 2025, Twic East County leaders reportedly agreed to impeach MP Deng Dau Deng Malek, accusing him of poor performance since his election in the 2010 general elections—an issue that has since fueled political tensions in the area.