A two-day forum organised in Jebel Buma of Boma State saw the feuding Jie and Murle communities agreeing to reconcile and to co-exist in peace.

The event was facilitated last week by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

In July 2019, the Jie and Murle communities engaged in deadly clashes in Marua and other villages of Boma area. The fight left at least 85 people dead, while several others were wounded.

The attacks caused destructions, with numerous children abducted, and over 45,000 cattle raided.

During the peace conference, the Jie and Murle communities agreed to hold perpetrators of these inter-communal ills accountable.

“They also agreed to stop child abduction and arrest those who are involved in buying and selling of children,” Jebel Buma County Commissioner Alston Logony said, as he read out the resolutions of the peace forum, facilitated by the UNMISS Civil Affairs Division.

The crime of child abductions has hitherto been very lucrative, with the diabolic business fetching between 30-50 cows per child, depending on the victim’s sex and where they were abducted from. With an average cow costing $600, this amounts to between $18,000 and $30,000.

During these raids, the elderly and vulnerable members of the community become victims of cross-fire and revenge killings.

 “You need to make peace with your neighbours. And by making peace with your neighbours, you are protecting your children,” said Deborah Schein, UNMISS Head of Office in Greater Jonglei, during the forum.

Besides cattle raiding and child abduction, both sides identified other causes of the conflict as ambushes, killing and mutilation of children, access to water and grazing land, and the political power conspiracies by leaders who incite tribesmen.

The two communities tasked their chiefs and local authorities to address the identified causes of fighting in the area, as they urged the UN Mission to extend the peace forums to other villages.