A center for the promotion of transitional justice for the internally displaced persons and their Awerial County host communities has been opened in Lakes State.
This center, according to Humanitarian and Development Consortium (HDC) and UNHCR, will be used for peacebuilding and human rights programs.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony on Wednesday, the community representative, Awur Anyuon, appreciated the agency for the service but also appealed to the international and national organizations to provide latrines, power and a fence to make the center secure.
We appreciate HDC for the center but also appeal for the WASH facility because the center can only be safe if the washrooms are installed, she said
Aman Abolich said the center will promote strong transitional justice for women and girls of the host communities and the IDPS on the issues related to early and forced marriages.
“We thank you for the center and I want to request for a fence to make it more secure. Tell your office in Juba to prioritize it,” he said.
The center, she went on, will be our meeting point, as the community and it will ease the problem of a meeting space.
Sultan John Chol Yak said they would use the transitional center to promote justice for all.
“Putting a fence around it will make it more beautiful and secure and protect it from destruction by cattle,” said Yak.
HDC Coordinator Mayom Biar Atem promised that his organization would lobby for funds for the latrines, lights and the fence as requested by the community.
“Taking care of it so that animals do not destroy it is not the work of UNHCR and HDC, it is your work. However, there are other things like installing a latrine, lights and fence that fall within our docket and we will work on them,” he said.
Awerial County Commissioner Philip Mawut Garang told the development partners to feel free should they have interest in helping the local communities.
“Tell your head office that Awerial has made free the land for development. If you have a project for development, we are ready to give you a free land because we care about the future,” he said.