A leading civil society organization in South Sudan, Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), has embarked on educating community leaders on peaceful resettlement of returnees and internally displaced persons in Yei River County.
CEPO in a statement to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday said some returnees and internally displaced persons returning to their homes are finding it difficult to resettle as other people have occupied their homes, an issue the organization says could trigger conflict in the area if not well addressed.
“In our local findings, we have discovered that the relationship between IDPs, Returnees and host communities is not a healthy one. Other people who occupied people’s buildings are resisting vacating to the rightful owners returning to own their areas of settlement,” the statement reads.
CEPO also cautioned the people of Yei against the use of hate speech saying it could simmer tensions in the communities.
"As a civil society, we will not keep on watch on issues that may cause local tension and violence over settlement. We brought all these participants together; we are taking them through trauma counselling, conflict mitigation, social cohesion, reconciliation, forgiveness and peace building sessions so as to promote peaceful co-existence in Yei River County,” CEPO said.
The organization said 40 participants mainly area headmen, returnees and IDPs representatives, Relief Rehabilitation Commission and Land Commission officials within Yei town council are attending the workshop to find amicable ways to address disputes related to re-settlement in Yei River County.
CEPO further said it’s using the forum as a plat form to disseminate the contents of the signed revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan to build confidence and local ownership by the civil population.
The four-day workshop is aimed at strengthening local capacities of community leaders in effective peace building organized by CEPO with funding from the United States agency for International Development (USAID).