The greater Western North Presbyterian peace conference concluded over the weekend in Bentiu with a call for the peaceful and total disarmament of civilians in the Bentiu internally displaced peoples’ camp, Rubkona, Guit, and Mayom counties.
The seven-day conference which was attended by representatives and a mammoth gathering from the three counties was organized by the Western North Presbyterian Church of South Sudan with support from UNMISS and a consortium of humanitarian organizations.
Rev. Peter Chuol, a Presbyterian pastor who traveled from Juba to Bentiu for the peace conference, told Radio Tamazuj Saturday that the conference resolved to embrace peace.
“We are in Bentiu IDP camp for the conference which concluded today (Saturday) with resolutions to disarm civilians across Bentiu IDP camp and the counties,” he said. “There should also be the delivery of services by the government like the provision of water sources to avoid conflict in water-scarce areas.”
“We have been discussing peace in Bentiu IDP camp so that people have peace because some youth are involved in criminal activities like cattle rustling, elopement, and murder along the borders,” Rev. Chuol added.
Meanwhile, Jane Kony, UNMISS’ civil affairs team leader and acting head of field office in Unity State, said peaceful disarmament is the only solution to bringing violence to an end.
“We were discussing peace so that we increase awareness when they go back to their respective areas so that people do not fight again. We will continue talking words of peace to our communities and to have links with the government,” she said. “The conflict has reduced as people keep talking about peace and the big problem is that other youth have not listened.”
She added: “Our armed youth listen to us but they fear that their lives and property will be exposed to danger from armed elements from other counties.”
Ezekiel Duol Simon, a participant, said the peace conference will bring peace to Unity State.
“I am appealing to the Unity State government to support the Presbyterian Church during the peace awareness campaign across three counties of Mayom, Rubkona, and Guit,” he said. “We want our people to get the same messages of peace in southern Unity State. This is when the entire state will be peaceful.”
This is the third time the Presbyterian Church in South Sudan is conducting a peace conference in Bentiu with the most recent being last year in the IDP camp.