Peace convention concluded with a call for reconciliation in Yirol

By John Agok

A Chiefs’ Peace Conference that was held in Yirol County, Lakes State has ended unanimously with a call for reconciliation.

At least about 30 chiefs drawn from three different States namely Warrap, Unity and Lakes participated in the convention.  

The Conference was meant to discuss peace related opportunities in the areas and how to forge peaceful existence among the three communities at the Western Bank of the Nile.

In the past months, reports of cattle related conflicts have continued to escalate among the communities of Unity, Lakes and Warrap States putting the relation in dire.

But, Andrew Madut Buoi, Lakes State Chief Representative during the Conference said they were able to finalize the conference with a call for ceasefire.

“We came to conclusion that there was a need to revise the 1999 Wunlit’s Peace resolutions that may pave way for us to find permanent solution to inter-state conflicts”, he said.  

The meeting was aimed at reconciling three states stricken by cattle rustling and revenge killings.

This was the second meeting of the Chiefs since Wunlit Historical peace conference initiated in 1999.

By that time, the chiefs were brought together under the auspices of the Church as they geared towards fostering and forging reconciliation among the communities of Nuer and Dinka.

Mr. Buoi said the last peace initiative failed due to implementation challenges.

“I am not happy with our government for not upholding Wunlit’s Peace resolutions which might have now brought the lasting solutions”, he added.

According to the Chief, the failure was the fact that the resolutions were not fully implemented to bring about durable peace.

Wunlit’s peace Conference History, 1999

The Dinka – Nuer west bank peace and reconciliation conference was convened in February 1999 in the Dinka srea of Tonj and Wunlit village close to the border with Nuer territory.

It was the most successful peace conference in the history of the then Sudan.

It was one of the prestigious events where customary authorities-chiefs and elders took a leading role.

The conference convened at the height of Sudan’s second civil war between Khartoum government and South Sudanese insurgents.

Wunlit peace conference brought local peace to a significant area of the country and helped pave the way for a wider peace between the two factions of the SPLA and thence in 2005 between the SPLA and the government in Khartoum.