Local authorities in Twic County of Warrap State announced on Wednesday that St. Daniel Primary School has reopened its doors to students after nearly a month-long hiatus without lessons. The closure, which began on June 28th, was a result of a land dispute between the local community and the Catholic Church of Wunrok Payam in Twic County.
The disagreement escalated to a point where more than 12 pupils were injured and three individuals from the community were arrested by county police. However, Yai Agany, the Head Teacher of Saint Daniel Catholic Primary School, confirmed that the school reopened on Monday, July 17th, and has since been engaged in providing psychosocial support to the students.
Agany explained, “We are now back in the school, continuing with our regular activities, including counselling the children who were harmed during the unfortunate incident. The land dispute has been resolved and officially demarcated by the county authorities in conjunction with the local chiefs, granting the church the right to use the land freely.”
Ring Bol, Chairperson of the Parents Teachers’ Association (PTA) and a parent, clarified that the land dispute was not representative of the entire Wunrok community but rather involved one individual who claimed ownership. Bol revealed that the issue had been simmering since last year when plans were made to construct a fence, and tensions escalated to the point where the individual physically confronted the school children in June, resulting in the injury of 13 children and subsequent legal action.
Following the incident, a meeting was organized involving the local community, county and payam authorities, and the school administration. Bol stated, “All parties concerned were able to reach a consensus that the school should reopen this week. We are pleased to confirm that the school is now fully operational.”
Turalei parish priest, Anthony Conta, clarified that the closure of the school was not a result of its own internal issues but rather stemmed from a disagreement between the church and an individual claiming ownership of the land. He mentioned that a committee was formed by the commissioner to mediate the situation. Conta confirmed that the school has resumed its activities, and the issues that led to the dispute have been resolved.
Mangok Kom, Twic County Acting Commissioner, expressed satisfaction with the resolution of the land issue. He confirmed that the county administration successfully surveyed the disputed land, reaching an agreement between the church and the local residents’ settlements. Kom assured that the security situation in the county has improved, and the region is currently experiencing favourable weather conditions with abundant rainfall.