Two feuding sections of the Kok community in Western Bahr Naam County of Western Lakes State have reconciled after seven years of conflict and revenge attacks, which claimed several lives.
The reconciliation was made on Tuesday during a peace and reconciliation conference organized by Oxfam, a development organization that mobilizes the strength and voice of people against poverty, inequality and injustice.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj during the conference, the state governor, Mahmuod Solomon Der Agok urged the two warring sections, the Kok-Awac and Kok-Pacuar, to accept peace and reconciliation among themselves.
“My message to the two sections of Kok community is to accept and maintain peace and reconciliation among themselves. We also need them to forget about the past because in the family or society, people differ, reconcile and continue with their normal lives,” Governor Agok said.
He added, “As government, we have been trying our best to reconcile them through our peace partners and our peace team are always sent out to reconcile the feuding sections of the community”.
For his part, the county commissioner, Mading Madheng called for peaceful co-existence between the two feuding Kok communities.
“At the end of the community dialogue and reconciliation conference, we want the two communities to keep their cattle together for grazing during the coming cattle migration to Lol-Manyiel as the Agaar sections of the community will go to Aguoc and Alou cattle camps in search of water and pastures,” he said.
Cattle are a main source of wealth for many communities. Cattle raids and revenge attacks have claimed several lives since South Sudan’s independence in 2011.