The head of the UNMISS Civil Affairs Division in Western Equatoria met with top officials from the Yambio State government over reintegration, trauma healing, and conflict mitigation for community leaders and armed youth, according to an UNMISS statement on Monday.
A peace agreement between the South Sudanese government and the South Sudan National Liberation Movement was signed in April, and came after years of fighting in Yambio Country. Hundreds were killed in the conflict, and thousands were displaced to the neighboring Congo and Uganda, according to UNMISS.
The head of the UNMISS Civil Affairs Division in Western Equitoria Svetlana Penchova said that UNMISS has “conducted a series of workshop for Government Officials, Church leaders and armed youth concerning how they could each engage in dialogue to help bring peace to the state”, according to the press release.
Governor Major General Patrick Raphael Zamoi said his government was focused on implementing the peace deal and engaging the local community to avoid further conflict.
According to the press release, Zamoi said that some of the SSNLM “are willing to join the (SPLA), and others are willing the join the organized forces while the rest needs to go back to school or join the vocation training centers to acquire skills on different aspect of technologies”