The grieving Lopit Community, one of the Otuho-speaking tribes in Eastern Equatoria State, on Thursday laid Queen Juliana Oturo Odiongo, 90, after she dies last Sunday due to complications related to diabetes and old age.
The queen was buried three days later according to tradition.
Queen Juliana assumed the throne 40 years ago when her husband, the late King Oturo Odiongo, died at the Lopit Kingdom’s Lohutok headquarters.
According to her subjects, the fallen queen worked tirelessly to keep the peace in her area and with the neighboring communities.
She is said to have mobilized the youth to work with the Anyanya 1 movement and later the SPLA to during the liberation struggle.
Queen Juliana is also credited with attracting Christian missionaries to construct schools and a hospital in the Lopit area.
Ohure peter, the Lopit youth leader, told Radio Tamazuj that the Kingdom declared three days of mourning during which no work is allowed and anyone who fights will be fined.
“Her name is Queen Juliana Oturo and she died aged 90 years. She ruled Lohutok, Tabwor, Ihirang, and Imuluha, up to Lalanga all under Lopit. She suffered from diabetes until one of her legs was amputated.
The disease and old age continued to disturb her until she passed,” he said. “According to the tradition, her subjects were called to perform certain rituals and bury her. Work will stop for three days and anybody causing chaos and making noise will be fined.”
Meanwhile, Ambrose Oyet, the Lopit Community chairperson, said the death of the queen left a big gap in the kingdom’s administration.
“She was the head who was hardworking and welcoming and always advising her people. Even when there is drought, she would advise the population to be patient and avoid blaming rainmakers,” he said. It is a great pain to lose such a queen who ruled for many years without any crises. To my people, let us be calm.”
The Eastern Equatoria State information minister who hails from the kingdom, Patrick Oting Cyprian, said the late queen was able to bring development in terms of services in the area through collaboration with missionaries.
“The place she was ruling, especially in Lohutok, there were no schools, no hospitals, and people were dying in big numbers due to illnesses but during her time many things happen and the missionaries were able to come through her administration to establish schools and a hospital,” he said.
The state minister of culture, youth, and sports, Margret Idwa Okuye, on behalf of the state government, said the authorities will miss the deceased because she helped maintain peace and stability in her jurisdiction.
Late Queen Juliana was from a royal Acholi clan in Lobone.
The Lopit Community is set to install Prince Michael Oturo Odiongo, the deceased queen’s only son as the next king.
Source: Radio Tamazuj