Mangok Mangok Mayen (born September 18, 1963) is a South Sudanese politician, political organizer and refugee advocate who served as chairman of the United States National Secretariat of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) during the period surrounding the 2011 South Sudanese independence referendum. He previously chaired the movement's Mississippi chapter and served as Southern Regional Coordinator of SPLM chapters in the United States.
During Mayen's leadership of the SPLM-USA national secretariat, the organization participated in political activities associated with Sudan's 2010 Sudanese general election and the referendum on South Sudanese independence. In 2014, SPLM national secretary for external relations Suzan Jambo publicly credited Mayen with mobilizing people during both political events.
Alongside his political activities, Mayen worked with Sudanese refugees in Mississippi as a cultural specialist for Catholic Charities and subsequently served on the Lewiston Housing Authority Board of Commissioners in Maine.
Early life and education Mayen is originally from what is now South Sudan. He later settled in the United States, where he became involved in Sudanese community organizations, refugee services and political activities associated with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement.
In 2011, Mayen received an associate degree from Hinds Community College in Mississippi. His graduation was reported by The Mississippi Episcopalian, which also described his work with the Sudanese refugee community. Julie Hines Mabus, former first lady of Mississippi, attended his graduation ceremony.
Mayen subsequently pursued higher education at Grand Canyon University in Arizona. In June 2023, GCU News reported that he held a master's degree from the university and was undertaking doctoral studies in organizational leadership.
Refugee advocacy and Catholic Charities Mayen worked as a Sudanese cultural specialist at Catholic Charities in Jackson, Mississippi alongside Duncan Montgomery Gray III. His work was associated with the resettlement and integration of Sudanese refugees, including members of the community commonly known as the Lost Boys of Sudan.
The Sudanese refugee community in Mississippi included young people who had fled the Second Sudanese Civil War, spent periods in refugee camps in eastern Africa and subsequently resettled in the United States. Mayen's professional work placed him within the network of refugee assistance and community integration services operating in Jackson during this period.
His experience in immigrant integration was later cited by the Lewiston Housing Authority in Maine when it recommended him for appointment to its Board of Commissioners in 2015.
Political career
Sudan People's Liberation Movement Mayen became involved in the United States chapters of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, the political organization associated with the southern Sudanese liberation struggle and subsequently the governing party of South Sudan.
By October 2007, Mayen was serving as chairman of the SPLM Mississippi Chapter and Southern Regional Coordinator of SPLM chapters in the United States. He was identified in both positions in a public statement issued by the organization's American chapter leadership concerning the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
The 2007 statement criticized the Sudanese government's implementation of the peace agreement and called for international involvement in ensuring compliance with its provisions. It was addressed to international governments and organizations, including the United Nations and the United States government.
In November 2009, Mayen was among the SPLM chapter leaders who signed a petition opposing aspects of the Sudanese electoral registration process. The petition argued that identification requirements, registration procedures and the limited distribution of polling locations created obstacles for Sudanese voters living abroad.
The chapter leaders called for changes to the registration process, including expanded voting facilities and recognition of additional documentation for Sudanese citizens residing outside the country.
SPLM-USA national chairmanship By April 2010, Mayen was chairman of the SPLM-USA National Secretariat. His name appeared as chairman on an official statement issued by the organization congratulating Salva Kiir following the 2010 Sudanese elections. The statement identified Ladu Jada Gubek as vice-chairman and Domach Wal Ruach as secretary-general.
The national secretariat coordinated political activities among SPLM chapters in the United States during a period that included Sudan's national elections, implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and preparations for the southern Sudanese referendum on self-determination.
South Sudanese independence referendum Mayen served as SPLM-USA chairman during the period surrounding the 2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, in which voters in southern Sudan and eligible members of the diaspora decided whether the region should become an independent state.
SPLM chapters in the United States participated in political organizing and advocacy concerning diaspora electoral participation. After the referendum, SPLM national secretary for external relations Suzan Jambo credited Mayen with mobilizing people during both the 2010 elections and the referendum held the following year.
The Sudanese community in Mississippi also participated in the referendum. According to a July 2011 report by Greg Miller in The Mississippi Episcopalian, many eligible Sudanese residents of Mississippi traveled to regional polling centers in Nashville, Tennessee, and Dallas, Texas, to cast their votes.
The same publication reported Mayen's involvement with the Sudanese community during the independence period and identified him as a representative of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in the United States.
Abyei advocacy In 2011, Mayen also participated in political advocacy concerning the disputed Abyei region, where renewed fighting and displacement threatened the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
Following an advocacy rally involving Sudanese residents from across the United States in Nashville, Mayen urged Americans to contact members of Congress and the White House to request intervention concerning the Abyei crisis. His involvement was reported in the July 2011 edition of The Mississippi Episcopalian.
End of national chairmanship Mayen continued to lead the SPLM-USA National Secretariat after South Sudan gained independence on 9 July 2011.
In November 2014, members of SPLM chapters in the United States held a convention at which Ladu Gubek was elected chairperson of the organization's American national secretariat. Sudan Tribune reported that Gubek succeeded Mayen in the position.
The succession was subsequently disputed. In December 2014, a statement signed by Mayen and published by Nyamilepedia challenged the procedures used at the North Carolina convention and called for an investigation by the SPLM leadership in South Sudan.
Despite the dispute, the reported succession marked the end of Mayen's period as the publicly recognized national chairman. In reporting the election of his successor, Sudan Tribune quoted SPLM national secretary for external relations Suzan Jambo praising Mayen's political organizing during the independence process.
Civic and development activities
Lewiston Housing Authority After moving to Lewiston, Maine, Mayen became involved in local community affairs.
By 2015, he had served on the Lewiston Housing Authority's Resident Advisory Board and participated in activities concerning the Hillview residential community.
In June 2015, the Lewiston Housing Authority formally requested that Mayor Robert E. Macdonald appoint Mayen to the authority's Board of Commissioners. The nomination letter cited his community activities and his experience helping immigrants integrate into American society through Catholic Charities.
On 14 July 2015, the Lewiston City Council voted unanimously to confirm Mayen's appointment as a commissioner of the Lewiston Housing Authority. The appointment carried a scheduled term expiration date of 7 October 2018.
Return to South Sudan Following more than two decades living in the United States, Mayen returned to South Sudan and continued participating in public discussions about the country's development.
In 2026, The City Review South Sudan published remarks attributed to Mayen concerning youth participation in government, educational opportunities and the contribution of South Sudanese who had returned after living abroad.
He was also quoted in commentary concerning women's education and national development, advocating greater opportunities for women and younger generations in South Sudanese public life.
See also
Sudan People's Liberation Movement 2011 South Sudanese independence referendum South Sudanese Americans Lost Boys of Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement
References