Unity and Warrap States Peace and Reconciliation Conference Resolutions and Recommendations:
- Location: Kuajok Town
- Date: 18-19 March 2011
- Attended: 54 participants/representatives
1. Background/Conflict Context:
Signing of the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) in 2005 Africa longest civil war which was raged between the North and Southern Sudan was brought to an end. However, the autonomous region entered into different kind of wars within self among the tribes. According to different reports including UN Mission in Sudan, around 2000 lives are lost in a month on different tribal fighting over different matters mostly cattle raiding in different states of Southern Sudan.
Eminent facts are that; before the war in 1983, tribal conflicts were not in frequent occurrence in Southern Sudan due to lack of arms, minimizing the possibility of youth and community members involving in cattle raiding and in addition to presence of strong and trusted community leaders led by paramount chiefs with credible powers to execute justice among the people. With massive armament of the tribes either by Sudan Army forces (SAF) or by Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) cattle raiding became a business of these war fragile communities.
Over the years of war and displacement cased by South-North Sudan conflict, communities of Warrap and Unity states have never experienced peace because of hostilities; continuing and organized cattle raiding a practice that has claimed the lives of old and young, women and men as well as clear lack of rule of law, no perpetrators are brought to book as well as blood compensations which is a practice in South Sudan.
It is because of this unvarying killing, displacement and increment of poverty that make UCOET with support from ManiTese to implement “Support to a sustainable peace among different ethnic groups in the border areas of Warrap and Unity States” project to help elevate the suffering of the people in Mayom County, Unity State, Twic and Gogrial East Counties in Warrap state.
2. Methodology and Approach:
i. Community dialogue: about 30 community dialogues in different villages and payams, with participation of community leaders, youth, women and local authorities at various levels, root causes, effects and suggested solutions were discussed in these meetings both in Mayom county, Gogrial East and Twic county. Villages where community dialogues conducted, these villages were selected base on the communities involvement in the conflict either being victims or perpetrators.
ii. County Conferences (workshops): These workshops brought together participants from different locations in the county to discuss in depth what community members have discussed in community dialogues. Here; concrete recommendations were made as responsible bodies to handle issues of concerns are identified.
iii. States conference: This conference is meant to bring all together participants from Warrap state counties of Twic and Gogrial East and county of Mayom in Unity state. Selection of participants include: (community leaders/chiefs, representatives of youth, women, parties’ officials, commissioners, local government officials and constituency members of state parliament) here the number of participants are narrowed down to influential and decision makers in the two states.
iv. Advocacy: through advocacy, UCOET aim to sensitize, mobilize members of state parliament, county commissioners, security organs in respective states and state government including the governors to put in place measures and actions to stop cattle raiding in their states.
3. Kuajok Agreement and Recommendations:
Through the deliberations, we have concluded that cattle’s raiding is caused by:
1- Poverty
2- Spread of arms
3- Hatred and tribalism
4- Weak rule of law
5- Political manipulation
6- Recklessness of youth and false patriotism
7- Competition of young people to get marriage
8- False pride and lust for quick rich
We have seen, lived with sorrows of this cattle raiding in the form of:
1. Constant Insecurity
2. Vigorous violation of human rights
3. Displacement
4. Generations fed with bad behaviour of revenge and grievances
5. Delay and prevent development in the area
6. Weak and broken social relationships
7. Affected small trade between the two states
8. Increased poverty
We have agreed to the following:
1. We have knowledge and regretted the conflict consequences on our communities and resources.
2. Resolve to peace and stability in the region.
3. Immediate disbarment of the white army from both communities.
4. Succumb to public order to restore rule of law.
5. We have agreed to restore our social fabric harmony that has been destroyed during the war.
6. We have agreed to seek support from international organizations, local organizations and the UN in Sudan to help us organize exchange visit to Dinka and Nuer villages as sign of reconciliation and poster relationships.
7. We have agreed to pay blood money for the victims of current raid on 15/2/2011 where by 7 people were killed and one seriously wounded by Nuer raiders.
8. Displaced communities along the border should go back immediately to their villages.
9. Creation of job opportunities for the youth and women (income generation activities)
10. Capacity building for peace committee in the two states, to manage and transform conflict.
11. We recommend that: a follow up peace conference be held in three months time which will include all the counties that are affected by the cattle raiding these include (Mayom, Abiemnhom, Mayendit, Koch, in Unity state and Twic, Gogrial East, Tonyj East, Tonyj north in Warrap state)
We recommended the following for immediate implementation:
1. The participants of Kuajok conference urge and call upon the governments of Unity and Warrap state as well as the government of South Sudan to step-in to help stop the cattle raiding practices which is on going along and deep within Unity, Warrap and Lakes states.
2. We representatives of the two sisterly states (Unity and Warrap) recommend for formation of two Follow up Committee at the state level co-chaired by state Peace Commission in Unity state and state Peace Committee in Warrap state with membership of security, peace advisors, chairperson of security, peace and human rights committees in the legislative assemblies from the two states and a committee at the counties, payams and boma levels to be co-chaired by the commissioners including chiefs, police, youth, women: (table one)
3. Exchange visits from the three counties to each other for consultations
4. We call upon the two states government to endeavour in order to find funds to construct roads connecting the three counties for easy interaction among communities as well as making it feasible for the state security organs to pursue and arrest cattle raiders in the following locations:
5. Aweng –Mayomdony-Gol-Mayen Jur
a. Lietnhom-Mayen Jur-Kuanydit-Ruath Nyibul
b. Warrap-Tonyj North- Nyinachuil-Majook Guor- Mankien- Kot- Kueth Alebek- Madol-Daknom- Riak-Mayom
c. Buoth- Chotchara- Dol- Marial Lou-
d. Pakur-Makuac
6. All the previous attempts to find solutions to this problem, we recommend that Rumbek conference recommendations and other conferences be included to be part of this agreement. We seek the support of two states governments, INGOs and NGOs for successful implementation of all the agreements reached before between the three states of Lakes, Unity and Warrap states to apprehend cattle raiding within these three states.
7. Establishment of police posts along the conflict areas on the boundaries of the two states in the following locations (Mayom, Norgai, Kotong, Manyen Jur, Kueth, Dol, Pakur and Makuac)
8. Establishment of joint courts chaired and management by the traditional leaders (paramount chiefs) empowered with legal authorities. The courts should be establish in the following locations:
a. Mayom Adony
b. Mayen Jur
c. Kueth
d. Dol
9. Concerned government officials to appoint border chief designated only to over see border relationships between the three communities of Lakes, Unity and Warrap states along the border counties. The stations of the border chiefs are as follow:
a. Mayom
b. Twic
c. Gogrial East
d. Abiemnhom
e. Tonyj North
f. Tonyj East
g. Koch
10. Blood compensation for the 7 people killed recently on 15/2/2011 this is because the acted was deemed by Twic community to be criminal act as it happen during the time South Sudan have taken its independent through referendum.
11. Executive court should be establish by the two states government to help persecute wrong doers
12. Deployment of security organs in the region to detect cattle raider campaigns in the area and advise other concerned security forces to intervene appropriately
13. Disbarment of the white army (cattle herders’ boys with arms) as well as the armed civilians from the two states.
14. Decentralization of some public services positions to help deter corruption.
15. The representatives of the two states governments (members of the two states legislative assemblies and the county representatives) the community leaders recommend that: a follow up conference shall be held in three months time in Ruath Nyibul, Mayom County, Unity state.
16. It is extremely recommended that governors of the three states (Lakes, Unity and Warrap) should attend in persons the follow up conference which these recommendations are to be ironed.
Table one: Composition of the Follow up and Monitoring Committees:
State Level Committee
1 / State Peace Commission in Unity state and state Peace Committee in Warrap state / 1+1
2 / Governor Security Advisor / 1+1
3 / Governor Peace Advisor / 1+1
4 / Chairpersons of Security and Peace, Human Rights in the Legislative Assemblies of the two states. / 3+3
Total / 12 members
Counties and Village Level Committee
5 / Chiefs from the two states / 4+4
6 / Counties representatives and / 3+3
7 / Youth / 2+2
8 / Police / 2+2
9 / Women / 3+3
Total / 28