The Dinka Malual, Luo, and Rizeigat communities along the border areas between South Sudan and Sudan last Friday concluded a three-day post-migration peace conference by signing an agreement stating their commitment to promote peace in the region.
The conference which took place in Nyamlel of Aweil East County of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State takes place every year during the dry season as the Arab Rizeigat pastoralists who have been grazing in parts of South Sudan return to their areas in neighboring Sudan.
The participants signed an agreement with about 16 resolutions to promote peaceful coexistence and contain crime before during and after migration.
Some of the resolutions signed include the exact time for migration before which a three weeks notice will be given, 31 cows to be paid as blood compensation for murder cases, prohibition of the burning of bushes, and killing of wild animals.
Anguei Noon Atak, a Dinka Malual paramount chief in Aweil North County told Radio Tamazuj that the conference was successful.
“The conference sessions went well and we agreed to solve the blood compensations for a specified time. All sides will have to pay compensation in their jurisdiction," he said.
The Rizeigat paramount chief, Idam Abubaker Ismail said this particular conference was different from previous ones as it included sports and social functions bringing all the communities together.
He said, “truly, this peace conference is different from the previous conference because there are a lot of sports and social engagements. These will improve the long-standing relations between Dinka Malual and Rizeigat.”
For his part, Chan Bak Yaja, the paramount chief of the Luo community in Aweil Center County appreciated the national and state governments involved in the peace initiative for their efforts to promote peaceful coexistence in the border region.
“I think the peace conference between Dinka Malual, Rizeigat, and the Luo has ended peacefully after three days and nobody got sick, and there were no quarrels among the people," he added.
Meanwhile, the Northern Bahr el Ghazal State peace coordinator, William Kolong Pioth hailed the community leaders at the conference for openly discussing the issues and finding solutions to them.
Representing the peace partners, Maria Inecita Montero, the head of civil affairs division and acting head of UNMISS field office in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State said the conference was a success.
”On behalf of the peace partners, I would say that this conference has achieved its primary objective of bringing the Rizeigat, the Dinka Malual, and the Luo communities together to discuss some issues affecting them during the migration season. Yes, they have, and that why we have the resolutions signed by both parties and that they were able to identify those key issues and come up with the way forward in terms of the agreement on how to resolve those issues," she pointed out.
Over 70 delegates from the Dinka Malual, the Luo, and the Rizeigat communities, government officials, and other guests attended the conference organized by the Northern Bahr el Ghazal State ministry of peacebuilding and funded by UNMISS, UNDP, FAO, VSF, and SAFER WORLD.