What to wear?

27 Jul 2009

What to wear?

For the second time in three months, a county commissioner in Southern Sudan has promulgated a ban on the wearing of certain types of clothing in public.

For the second time in three months, a county commissioner in Southern Sudan has promulgated a ban on the wearing of certain types of clothing in public.

On 19 January, Kapoeta South County Commissioner Peter Lokuju Marcello followed in the footsteps of his counterparts in Yei and Juba Counties when he issued a decree forbidding women from wearing tight trousers, mini-skirts and close-fitting blouses that exposed their navels. The decree also prohibits men from plaiting their hair.

Residents who violate the apparel ban will be fined 500 Sudanese pounds on the first offense and 1,000 on the second. Repeat offenders could face imprisonment of up to three months.

But if the experience of Juba County is anything to go by, the officials and inhabitants of Kapoeta South County may soon embark on a bumpy road.

Over 30 girls and young women were arrested in the Southern Sudanese capital of Juba last October after its then County Commissioner Albert Pitta Redentore imposed a similar ban. Law enforcement officials were also advised to arrest suspected gang members, leading to the detention of several young males, apparently due to their oversized T-shirts, baggy trousers or shorts that in some instances exposed their underwear.

Some of the youths were allegedly beaten by police during their detention, and upon their release they sought redress from the office of Mary Kiden Kimbo, the Minister of Gender, Social Welfare and Religious Affairs of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS).

The youths challenged the legality of the Juba County decree on the grounds that Southern Sudan's interim constitution places no restrictions on clothing and such a ban discriminated against women, as enforcement of the edict had produced considerably more arrests of females than males.

Their arguments received a sympathetic ear from the minister, who condemned the decree as both illegal and indefensible. Noting that it is criminal behavior instead of clothing preference that defines a gang member or prostitute, Ms. Kimbo called on police to investigate individuals actually suspected of breaking the law and refrain from arresting people "at random".

"People have different cultures, and we have the right to promote our culture," she noted, "but we should not forget to respect (other) people's cultures." Commissioner Redentore was subsequently removed from office.

News of the apparel restriction order elicited mixed reactions among residents of Eastern Equatoria State, where Kapoeta is located. Some approved the decree as an important step towards reforming young people who may want to imitate the delinquent behavior of gang members as well as their fashion taste.

But others took a dim view of Lokuju's measure, which had yet to be enforced as of early February. Critics noted the irony of a formal ban on some types of clothing in a region where partial nudity in public is an accepted cultural practice. "In our (Latuko) tribe, we normally dance almost naked and everybody has seen that," said Torit resident Ohide Luke. "I wish the government would look at how to improve security and provide services to the people instead of telling them to dress the way (officials) want."