South Sudan lawyer who escaped child marriage says new wedding blocked over fiancé’s Nuer ethnicity

JUBA – A South Sudanese lawyer who says she was forced into marriage as a child has accused community leaders and security officials of blocking her planned wedding to a Nuer man despite a court-confirmed divorce from her former husband.

Josephine Adhet Deng said dowry negotiations and a wedding ceremony scheduled for Feb. 14, 2026, were halted after objections were raised over her fiancé’s Nuer ethnicity and insecurity in Upper Nile region.

In a public statement posted on Facebook today, Deng said she was eight years old in 2003 when her elder brother arranged her marriage to Gen. Faustino Atem Gualdit without her consent.

“In 2003, at the age of eight, I was subjected to an arranged marriage without my consent,” she said. “There was no formal marriage ceremony, no proper family consultation, and no involvement of key relatives or elders.”

She said she was withdrawn from school following the arrangement and lived for years under what she described as forced marriage conditions.

After seeking legal redress, a competent court granted her divorce in December 2022, according to court documents reviewed by Reuters. Local court records also document the repayment of 37 cows as dowry, formally settling the marriage.

“With that, my previous marriage was fully and legally concluded,” Deng said.

She said that in early 2024 she informed her family that she intended to remarry and that her fiancé’s family wished to begin formal negotiations. Initial approval was granted and preparations began, with a wedding date set for Feb. 14, 2026.

However, disagreements emerged when her brother allegedly sought to handle the dowry negotiations without broader family participation.

“When I objected and insisted on transparency and full family involvement, disagreements arose,” she said.

The matter was later presented to community leaders, who raised concerns about her fiancé’s Nuer ethnicity and the ongoing conflict in Upper Nile, she said.

“It was suggested that the wedding should not proceed due to ongoing conflict in Upper Nile and other unrelated political considerations,” Deng said. “I respectfully questioned the connection between regional conflict and my personal marriage decision.”

A community notice dated Feb. 13, 2026, announced the suspension of the planned dowry ceremony, which had been scheduled at a hotel in Juba.

Deng said she was also summoned by national security officials a day before the ceremony.

“Strong warnings were issued, and the event was effectively halted,” she said, adding that the cancellation “was not voluntary but occurred following external pressure and intervention.”

“I am a legally divorced adult woman with the right to make independent decisions regarding my marriage,” she added.

South Sudan’s Transitional Constitution guarantees free consent to marriage. However, enforcement remains inconsistent, with customary practices often playing a significant role in family and marriage matters.

Gen. Gualdit and community leaders named in the documents were not immediately available to requests for comment. National security officials could not be reached as well.

Deng said she remains committed to resolving the matter through lawful means.

“I remain committed to genuine solutions, respect for elders, and lawful processes and dialogue,” she said.