The citizens of Wau town, the capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal State, have applauded the state government for improving security in the town.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday during the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the International Day of Peace at Wau main stadium, some citizens said there is relative peace and calm in the town.
“My whole life was in Wau here, I did not leave Wau even during the past conflict. In the past years, the security in Wau was very disappointing, there was no public tranquility, even during our presence here at this stadium, a problem would have to happen. But since two years ago, stability has returned to Wau town,” Paul Diakon Duku said.
Duku said criminals are committing minor crimes in the town but no community clashes.
"The people in Wau now sleep without fear, I live in Hai Kosti. But I was staying at the UNMISS camp and in the church fearing at night to hear gunshots, now there are no gunshots," he added.
He urged the state government to put more effort to ensure lasting peace in the town.
Rita Banga Yibira, also a resident of Wau town normalcy has returned to the town.
“The situation that was keeping us in the churches has come to an end. Our children could not go to school, we were locked at the church suffering. But when we came back home, the situation has changed. People could not go to their gardens or look for firewood. When Mama Sarah come, people started going to their gardens freely and children would not get worried in your absence that their parents," Rita said. "Now we are very happy, it is better than before. The security of the town is good and I am happy in my area Nazareth."
As pressure from the international community mounts on South Sudan to fully implement the 2018 peace agreement, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) however says some relative peace has been achieved as it urged parties to accelerate the graduation of forces as envisioned in the agreement.
Speaking during the event in Wau, UNMISS state field coordinator, Sam Mamure said: “The journey from war to peace and recovery is well underway in this young nation. Positive progress has been registered since the signing of the revitalized peace agreement in 2018 and we appreciated this progress."
He said UNMISS will continue to support South Sudan to realize peace.
For her part, the state governor Sarah Cleto urged the people of Western Bahr el Ghazal to support the government in its efforts to bring sustainable peace.
“We celebrate this day with a commitment of giving peace a chance, we have suffered a lot, we still struggling to stand up on our feet but the only thing we want is to uphold our peace and ensure that the revitalized agreement is implemented in letter and spirit,” said Cleto. “I invited all of you to join the efforts of our state, Western Bahr el Ghazal and we focus on recovery for a more equitable and peaceful country.”
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. The theme for this year is 'Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world.'