The Misseriya community in Sudan’s West Kordofan State has announced plans to hold a peace conference with the Dinka Malual of South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal State to restore peaceful coexistence along the common borders next week.
Relations between the two communities have been severed since armed Misseriya men allegedly attacked and killed over 20 people, injured several, and displaced hundreds in Northern Bahr el Ghazal’s Aweil East County in early January.
Ibrahim Marek, the peace coordinator between Misseriya and Dinka Malual border peace committee told Radio Tamazuj that the conference on peace and security will take place at Meiram Locality.
“We are working hard to bring security along the borders and by 15th February we will hold a conference in Meiram to discuss security issues and how to renew relations between Dinka Malual and Misseriya,” he said.
Dinka Malual Paramount Chief in Aweil East, Peter Makuac Kuol, however, said the situation is not yet conducive for talks.
“I prefer that talks about relations are stalled because the families who lost their loved ones and whose houses were burnt are frustrated and this means that the situation is not conducive,” he observed.
For his part, William Anyuon Kuol, the Northern Bahr el Ghazal information minister, said: “We urge the state governments of West Kordufan and East Darfur to form their governments because I heard that the state governments are not yet in place,” he said. “After they are established they must invite us and we will take our people to Meiram so that we will all agree on the requirements for a peace.”