Community leaders from five counties in South Sudan’s Lakes State have agreed to coexist peacefully during the upcoming seasonal cattle migration, following a two-day conference aimed at preventing violence.
The conference, which concluded Friday at the Apex Hotel in Rumbek, was organized by the non-governmental organizations Peace Canal and Toch. It brought together over 200 delegates, including chiefs, Gelweng youth leaders, women’s representatives and local authorities from Rumbek East, Rumbek Centre, Rumbek North, Wulu and Cueibet counties.
The groups resolved to ensure a peaceful dry-season migration to grazing lands and water points in the Upper and Lower Toch wetlands.
Mabor Meen Wol, the state Minister of Local Government, said the conference allowed communities to plan the migration and establish rules.
“The state has to plan for how the communities should go to Toch wetlands for grazing and water,” he said. “They agreed on how they are going to stay and on the rules and regulations that are going to govern them.”
He said the Gelweng youth and local chiefs would be primarily responsible for controlling and supervising adherence to the agreements on the ground, with the state government acting as a general supervisor.
“The government must be a general supervisor of those rules and regulations because anyone who violates them will be brought to book by the government,” Mabor said.
Salva Akot, deputy peace building manager for Peace Canal in Rumbek, said the conference established specific migration routes to avoid conflicts between cattle herders and farmers. Delegates also discussed measures to address cattle theft, violence against women, land encroachment and alcohol consumption as potential drivers of conflict.
“Peace Canal has been supporting this conference for almost six years now,” Akot said. “The impact now is that it has reduced communal violence between the cattle keepers’ communities and also the farmers.”
Community leaders emphasized the new agreements.
Machol Madol, a youth leader from the Panyon section, said his community would wait for the government to officially declare the start of migration. “No one from the Panyon community will decide to migrate with his cattle… because we don’t want the problems to repeat,” he said.
Makot Makueng Dhuol, a Gelweng youth leader from Rumbek East, urged Agar community youths to maintain peace. “When there is an incident, it has to be isolated and people remain in peaceful coexistence,” he said.
Sultan Der Makuer highlighted the need for unity against external threats from neighboring communities, while urging people to avoid internal conflicts. “We have to leave minor conflicts and live peacefully,” he said.
The conference is the sixth annual gathering aimed at ensuring a safe and orderly cattle migration in the state.