At a UNMISS event in Jonglei, feuding parties pledged to work together to prevent violence and strengthen accountability for crimes. Photo by Mach Samuel/UNMISS.
JONGLEI - Conflict between the Lou Nuer and Gaweer communities in Jonglei has been fueled by a proliferation of weapons among civilians and disputes over access to scarce resources.But these communities have made a fresh pledge to work together to prevent violence, report criminal activities, ensure the return of stolen cattle, and promote peace at a conference organized by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The resolutions include a mobile court handling cases of cattle raiding, revenge killings, abduction of women and children, and illegal weapon possession, an agreement to detain all alleged offenders in Bor Central Prison, regardless of the location of the crime, and a focus on prosecuting chiefs who accept bribes or stolen goods and those who harbor criminals.“We fully endorse the conference resolutions and are committed to implementing them without hesitation,” said Jonglei Governor, Riek Gai Kok at the event. The Head of UNMISS’ Bor Field Office, Geetha Pious, stressed the importance of collaboration in building a strong and enduring bond between the communities. “We support all efforts to develop a collective approach to conflict prevention among communities. In this case, UNMISS facilitated the Governor’s visit to Ayod County to help resolve intercommunal conflict and organized a dialogue between uniformed forces, including those from the opposition, and the local community to strengthen civilian-military relations.” Delegates from the Gawaar and Lou Nuer communities will hold meetings in local areas to strengthen understanding of the cessation of hostilities and peace agreement and a nine-member committee of chiefs, county representatives, youth and women leaders will oversee the implementation of the resolutions.