The Ngok Dinka of the Abyei Administrative Area and the Twic community of Warrap State on Monday signed a cessation of hostilities agreement in Northern Bahr el Ghazal’s Aweil Town with a commitment to promote peaceful coexistence.
In February, deadly clashes erupted between the two communities after armed Twic youth attacked Aneet market in Abyei setting sections of it on fire leading to fighting that claimed several lives.
Following the clashes, South Sudan President Salva Kiir instituted an investigation committee headed by the Vice President for Services Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol to establish the truth and restore relations.
The committee has for the past month been moving among the communities investigating the incident and it culminated in the signing of the agreement on Monday.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Bulabek Deng Kuol, the overall paramount chief of the Ngok Dinka in Abyei, said: “We have signed the cessation of the hostilities with all 13 points so that there will not be hostilities or statements that incite violence and there will be a more effective role to restoring human dignity for common citizens and provision of security.
“And all sides from the government and communities are committed to the signed agreement on cessation of the hostilities,” he added.
Chol Pur, the commissioner of Rumamer County in Abyei said the governments of Abyei and Warrap have signed the peace agreement, the communities also did sign.
“Today, the memorandum on cessation of hostilities is signed and we as administration of Abyei and our chiefs have signed the document,” said Pur. “Also our brothers from Twic and governor of Warrap State and chief Administrator of Abyei have signed. I, the commissioner have signed on behalf of the local government in Rumamer County and Twic county commissioner has signed on behalf of the county local government and nine chiefdoms of the Ngok Dinka and six Twic chiefs have all signed the deal.”
On his part, the investigative committee’s secretary, Tor Deng Mawien, said the next step for the committee is to present their findings to the office of the president in a week.
After that, he says, a peace conference between the communities will be held to recreate a peaceful environment for both communities’ sides in the conflict, he concluded.
“The deal signed today is a cessation of hostilities and after that, we will conduct a peace conference between Twic and Ngok Dinka communities,” said Deng. “We are now preparing a report to the president on what we found and the causes of the problem.”