Community leaders in Maridi met over a recent proposal by President Salva Kiir to split the area from Western Equatoria State and make it into “Maridi State.” The meeting on Wednesday lasting over five hours drew over 50 participants including traditional leaders, church leaders, women leaders and youths from Maridi and Ibba counties.

Daniel Owudada, chairman of the organizing committee for the meeting said the meeting was meant to congratulate President Kiir for giving Maridi a state, to iron out differences between the tribes of greater Maridi and also to identify resources that will serve as the foundation for the new state.

“First, for us to build the foundation of the new state we must start with peace, unity and consensus among ourselves,” said Daniel. “If a tribe has a problem with another tribe here inside Maridi or a payam has a problem with another payam or a politician has a problem with another politician today we must forgive each other in order for us to live in peace and build a strong foundation for our new state because it needs peace and unity.”

He continued, “Second, to build a new and strong state we need to know our human resource capacity and the number of our people who are employed in the public sector. And also to know the natural resources we have like the land and gold.”

Episcopal Bishop Justin Badi Arama, head of the diocese of Maridi, also spoke on the occasion:

“Let us continue to upgrade ourselves to move forward and become sound minded people. Let us not to cry because we don’t have this or that. So this is our encouragement to you. Not all people are educated, but it’s important that you should work very hard in whatever position you are in whether it’s a messenger or farming or whatsoever. Let us be hard workers and move forward.”

Participants at the meeting stressed the need to say no to tribalism in the new Maridi State.