NPPR Press Release: Jonglei’s Dinka and Nuer Communities Agree to Reconcile
THE NATIONAL PLATFORM FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION (NPPR)
Press Release: for immediate release
Jonglei’s Dinka and Nuer communities agree to reconcile
BOR – The National Platform for Peace and Reconciliation (NPPR) has initiated a community-based peace process in Jonglei state with Dinka and Nuer church leaders taking the lead in mediating the talks. The initiative aims at engaging the two communities of Dinka and Nuer with the sole objective of fostering peaceful co-existence between them.
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The consultative programs were led by a group of pastors from the Dinka and Nuer who recently formed an alliance under the auspices of NPPR to initiate a community-to-community peace process among the Dinka and Nuer communities. The consultations in Bor targeted stakeholders from both Nuer and Dinka including elders, youth, women and religious leaders.
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The Pastors held consultation sessions with members of both communities in Bor town. The consultations reached out to over 200 people from both Dinka and Nuer communities including youth, women, religious leaders and community elders among others. All groups met expressed willingness to work together in fostering peace and reconciliation.
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The Paramount Chiefs, Head Chiefs and Executive Chiefs of Greater Bor, during a consultative meeting with the NPPR team to explore ways of ending the tribal conflicts, presented a number of grievances but explicitly stated their wish for peace. The Chiefs unanimously called for a joint face to face meeting with Nuer Chiefs.
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Manyok Deng Biar, a Head Chief from Wangulei Payam of Twic East County said that they are community leaders and do not support any form of violence. He said that a joint meeting between them and Nuer Chiefs should be convened to discuss ways of defusing violence.
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“We are community leaders, and a good leader does not encourage violence. I want to meet the Nuer Chiefs so that I can tell them that we the chiefs are the community leaders and should not mobilize our children to go for war. We the Chiefs were the very people who could have stopped the crisis from spreading over.” Said Manyok Deng Biar, a Head Chief from Wangulei payam of Twic East County.
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The youth and women from the Dinka community in separate consultations also expressed their willingness for reconciliation with the Nuer community. Both youth and women groups agreed to holding joint meetings with their corresponding Nuer Community stakeholders.
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“I wish the Nuer IDPs inside UNMISS camp in Bor should come out so that it sends out a positive message of peace to others who are engaged in fighting and eventually encourage them to abandon the war and seek peace.” Said Nyankiir Atem, a women leader from Twic East County.
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During a separate consultative meeting with Nuer women at UNMISS, Achuol Jang, who is one of the women leaders said most of the Nuer women now living in the Protection of Civilians (POC) site in UNMISS, were residents in Bor town which is the state capital and have nowhere to go but only to make peace with host (Dinka Bor) Community.
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While speaking during the consultative meeting, Rebecca Ayen Awan, from Duk County said that South Sudanese citizens are not realizing the truth that the politicians are only destroying the lives and future of the children of peasants while they send their children to the best schools abroad. “Politicians are selfish; they are destroying the future of our children when their children are studying abroad. They send their children to the best schools abroad and set our husbands and children to kill each other. They want their children to come also rule us and we are blind to see this.” She strongly stated.
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A joint meeting convened between Dinka and Nuer women in Bor was seen as one of the successful sessions. The women shared their war experiences and discovered that war affected all of them and that atrocities were committed on both communities during the fighting. Nyankiir Atem who led the Dinka Bor women to the joint meeting with Nuer women said women should set the pace towards reconciliation and the men will follow. She urged the fellow women to influence their men and children to stop fighting and opt for peace. “…..as Dinka and Nuer women, let’s join our hands together to save the lives of our few surviving men and sons. Let’s urge them to stop fighting and accept peace.” Ms. Nyankiir said.
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Her call for peace was also backed by her counterpart Elizabeth Joseph who also led the Nuer women to the joint meeting. Ms. Elizabeth told the women that for Jonglei to be called a state, then it must accommodate Nuer and Dinka as well as other tribes. She called for peace and unity among the women especially in the state capital Bor so that people in other areas of the state can learn from the example.
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His Grace Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul who is one of the Principals of NPPR, met with the Nuer IDPs representatives in UNMISS-Bor where he listened to their grievances and also shared with them the message of peace.
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According to the pastor’s action plan, the consultation with different stakeholders from Dinka and Nuer in Jonglei State is a process that needs continued engagements. The next phase outlines further engagements with youth, community elders, from both communities.
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For further information, please contact Tobias Atari, Director General of South Sudan Peace and Reconciliation (SSPRC) and head of NPPR Secretariat, Tel: 095529, email: fagillah@yahoo.com
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