The communities residing at the border areas between Rumbek Central and Yirol East of Lakes State, and Panyijiar County of Unity State have agreed on 21 resolutions for peaceful coexistence.
The resolutions were arrived at during the inter-states peace dialogue in Yirol East. The chiefs from Panyijar, Yirol East and Amongpiny of Rumbek Central signed the peace pact.
The two-day peace dialogue, which concluded on Friday, was organized by the Ministry of Peace Building, supported by the Netherlands agency PAX and UNMISS in Lakes State. It was attended by intellectuals, government officials and the representative of different peace partners from Lakes and Unity states.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Saturday, Panyijar County Chief Peter Gatchak Both expressed his gratitude to the dialogue organizers.
“I thank the NGO peace partners, UNMISS, and PAX who organized this peace dialogue,” he said, adding that the initiative would bring unity among the communities.
Chief Malek Aguet of Amongpiny Payam said the main issue for the dialogue was cattle raiding conducted by the Lakes and Unity State youths.
Yirol East County Paramount Chief Kuer Dhuor Machar said that he would inform his people about what they had discussed.
“It is all about peace in the two states of Lakes and Unity,” he said, disclosing that they had agreed that some people from Panyijiar, who have been displaced by floods, could seek refuge in Lakes State.
Machar stressed the need for a road connectivity between Yirol East and Panyijiar County, noting that such a link would enable the easy movement of the people and goods, and help in enhancing security.
“I have requested the Government of South Sudan and the supporting partners and NGOs to construct a road from Yirol East to Panyijar County to support the government pursue the criminals who disturb the peace,” he said.
Machar expressed concern about the many guns in the hands of the civilians, as a big threat to peace.
“We recommend that the government disarm the civil population in the two states, leaving the guns in the hand of the security agents only,’’ he said.
PAX Country Director Ira Emmanuel Dila said he was happy about the signing of the 21 peace resolutions, noting that they were contained in the national peace resolutions of 2018 and 2022.
Dila said the resolutions would be key in the recovery of the stolen livestock and the serving of justice to the perpetrators of crime.
“There is a commitment from the community, through the chiefs and from the local government to see that the chiefs carry out their duty,” he said.
The Lakes State Peace Building Minister Nyanhok Marial said she believes the peace dialogue would be sustainable.
“We know that the peace we have signed today is something we will work on and extend to other states that have not seen such wonderful resolutions,” she said.
Panyijiar County Commissioner Gabriel Majok said the two communities of Unity and Lakes State had agreed that there would be no more killings and cattle raiding because they love peace.
Majok said the governments of the two states would follow up on the implementation of the resolutions.
The Commissioner of Yirol East County, Manyang Luk Lueth, said the meeting came up because of last year’s agreement that the peace meetings between Yirol East and Panyijiar counties include other counties.