The government of South Sudan’s Upper Nile State has embarked on a campaign to disseminate the 2018 peace deal to the locals in parts of the state.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, James Tor Monybuny, the state deputy governor, said the state-wide peace rallies are aimed at restoring trust among local populations in Upper Nile.
“We started these campaigns on March 20. So far, we held rallies in nine counties out of 13,” Tor said. “We disseminate the 2018 R-ARCSS because the deal itself calls for reconciliation, peace, healing, and the unity of people of South Sudan.”
The state deputy governor called on the civil population to embrace peace among themselves, emphasizing its necessity for effective service delivery.
“There was a gap created during the conflict that has led to the lack of services. Now that the war ended communities need to also forgive themselves so that work goes on well in the private or government sector,” Tor said.
The state legislative assembly speaker, Chuol Dep Kier, said the campaign will continue until peace is restored among the civil population.
“The cabinet and lawmakers are drawn from different communities and we move together disseminating peace because when the leaders are united, citizens will reconcile and realize that there is peace,” he said.
For his part, Bol Deng Bol, an activist with the civil society Intrepid-South Sudan applauded the Upper Nile State government’s move.
“The revitalized peace agreement stipulates it very well that the parties to the agreement should talk to the people that we committed to this peace and so they should. Peace needs collective effort, the parties, and the people. So, what is happening in Upper Nile should b applauded and replicated by others,” he said.