Bunagok residents met over the weekend to stop communal violence among youths. The meeting was chaired by Lino Alony, a Lakes state member of parliament.

Alony is calling on youth to work toward development rather than violence, according to a local radio station, which reported also that the Bunagok residents have pledged to work for peace and to make the new 'Eastern Lakes State' a haven for peace.

Eastern Lake state was recently created by President Salva Kiir by decree, out of a part of the former Lakes State, one of ten states established by South Sudan's 2011 constitution.

Lakes has been suffering from high levels of inter-clan violence and criminality.

Separately, a chief at the Mingkamen displaced camp in eastern Lakes has said that the return of his community to Jonglei State will be determined by the nation’s progress.

Deng Yak Athian, Mingkaman IDP chief representative, said he hopes Mingkaman IDPs from Jonglei state will return as soon as a lasting peace is achieved in the country. Jonglei state’s new governor, Philip Aguer, assumed his role at an event held in Bor last Saturday.