A five-day peace and reconciliation conference between rivaling communities fromTerekeka and Jubek states kicked in the capital Juba on Tuesday.

Communities from both states have recently been engaged in revenge attacks and inter-communal violence.

The conference brought together participants from the Bari, Mundari, Pojulu and Nyangbara communities. Government officials from the two states, chiefs and church leaders attended the conference.

The Archbishop of Central Equatoria Province, Paul Pitia Benjamin Yugusuk, told Radio Tamazuj that the conference aims at opening a new chapter on how best rivaling communities can resolve their differences.

“Our aim is to reconcile the communities so that they live peacefully side by side. The root cause of the conflict between those communities must be identified before any resolutions,” Yugugusk said.

“The four communities will be given an opportunity to tell the long history of peace coexistence between them before the conflict erupted,” he added.

The religious leader further said effective dissemination of what will be agreed upon during the peace conference at the grassroots level will help bring peace and harmony among the feuding communities.

“The resolutions need to be disseminated widely so that people at the grassroots level can understand the importance of reconciliation. But if the issue is not addressed on the ground, people will return to the conflict,” he said.

Archbishop Yugusuk stressed that differences among communities in the country need to be resolved peacefully through constructive dialogue. He pointed out that the church will oversee the process of implementing the resolutions of the peace conference.

The event was facilitated by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Justice Africa and other organizations.