Chiefs from Twic County in Warrap State and the disputed Abyei area have agreed to live peacefully and end almost two years of sporadic communal conflict that has killed hundreds and displaced people.
President Salva Kiir met five chiefs from the Dinka Ngok of Abyei and six from the Twic Dinka on Tuesday at his village home in Akon in Warrap State and discussed the genesis of the conflict and charted ways of achieving lasting peace between the two communities, according to officials.
Radio Tamazuj on Thursday sounded out some of the chiefs who met the president, and they intimated that they agreed that the conflict benefits none of them and they agreed, in front of Kiir, to cease the violence.
Jacob Madhel Leng, a Twic County chief, said the president insisted that the two communities embrace peace and that the meeting came up with four action points before a planned peace conference between the Twic and Abyei communities.
“We, six chiefs from Twic County and five from Abyei, attended a meeting chaired by President Kiir, and the aim was to bring peace and security between Twic and Dinka Ngok,” he said. “The meeting started with the chiefs explaining the genesis and the root causes of the conflict and how to find solutions to the problem. The chiefs from both sides agreed to unite and bring an end to violence.”
“We came up with four action points; to stop the killings, cease claims on and demilitarize contested lands, open all the roads, and the return of armed youth from Mayom County to their area,” he added.
Chief Madhel said that they have already started sensitizing the people before the peace conference slated for 3 April.
For his part, Abyei’s Paramount Chief Bulabek Deng Kuol said the meeting was timely and cordial and that the president demanded that they live in peace.
“We met the president, and he is concerned about peace and wanted to know why Twic and Ngok are fighting, yet they have been coexisting,” he said. “Twic and Ngok lived peacefully for almost 200 years, but politicians ignited the current conflict. So, the meeting outcomes were good as it called the two warring communities to stop fighting.”