Civil society group calls for reconciliation and forgiveness in South Sudan
4 min readBy PaanLuel Wël [SSB] Reporter, Juba, South Sudan
May 15, 2016 (SSB) — The south Sudan women empower network [SSWEN] a civil society group based in the nation capital, Juba is calling upon the south Sudanese communities to use reconciliation and forgiveness as a tool of achieving peace in the country.
Despite the recent political war that has divided the South Sudanese people into ethnics lines, some peace actors and citizens still believe that the spirit of forgiveness, reconciliation and peaceful co-existence can be restore among the communities and parties in the Country.
In December 2013, war broke out between forces loyal to the recent designated 1st vice president Dr. Riek Machar and forces of President Salva Kiir in Juba.
Thousands of people have been killed, millions displaced and hundreds left homeless as a result of the crisis that rapidly affected the three States of Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity as well.
In August 2015, both parties signed the compromise peace agreement in Addis Ababa, for the resolution of the two year old conflict.
The designated 1st vice president Dr. Riek Machar Teny just returned to the nation capital, Juba and resumed his duties just few weeks ago and both parties have formed the transitional Government of national unity as part of the peace implementation in the Country.
Although there are still outstanding issues between the two former enemies, some of the citizens and peace actors believe that peace, reconciliation and unity among South Sudanese people/ communities is possible.
And with this in mind, the PaanLuel Wël [SSB] visited one of the civil society organization office the South Sudan women Empowerment Network [SSWEN] on Thursday afternoon regarding the guarantee for possible forgiveness and reconciliation among the divided citizens.
Mrs. Paleki Ayang Mathew, who is the Executive Director of South Sudan women Empowerment Network [SSWEN] spokes to the PaanLuel Wël [SSB] in her office.
She believes that there are many wounds within the people from various communities that need attention by the parties.
With the post conflict there was about 90, 000 internally displaced persons [IDPs] gathering in Awerial County of Eastern lakes state they asking us that after the peace come they are going to go back to their homes town.
They have a women from Nuer community who are their neighbor’s weather in town or in the villages at the same time there are Nuer girls who are married by Dinka [Jieng] and there are Dinka girls who are married by the Nuer so there is a lot to be done in reconciliation among the communities of south Sudan’s.
There is a touch by the different communities and they are requesting us to find the way to bring these women from different communities together and to have the dialogue she explained.
Paleki calls upon the commission of peace and reconciliation in South Sudan to establish a clear strategy or the programs of reconciliation in the Country.
Although the organization is working hard for peace, justice, equality and accountability with its limited approaches, Paleki believes that the South Sudan women Empowerment Network succeed with a single strategy for the whole Country.
She appeals to both the former warring parties to join hands to forgiven each other and reconcile and work together for the betterment of South Sudanese people and generations to come.
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