A five-day cattle pre-migration peace conference among the neighboring communities of the Dinka Malual and Luo of South Sudan and Rizeigat of Sudan commenced on Tuesday in Aweil West County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, with the Rizeigat delegation no-show.

Sudanese pastoralists perennially move to South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal State in the rainy season to graze and water their animals. However, the Rizeigat failed to show up for the meeting after differences in their rank resulted from the killing of their former peace committee chairman, Muhamud Sadiq, in January in Kiir Adem.

Tong Garang, the director-general in the northern Bahr el Ghazal State ministry of peace building, said the conference was progressing smoothly despite the absence of the Rizeigat peace committee members.   

“The conference was not postponed. It is ongoing smoothly except that the Rizeigat did not show up in the conference because Mohamud Sadiq who was the head of the Rizeigat peace committee was killed in Kiir Adem in January,” he said. “His brothers said their community should not take part in the peace conference until the murder case is resolved.”

Garang added that some members of the Rizeigat community attended the conference albeit not being authorized by the leadership of their community.

“Some Rizeigat arrived and are in the conference but they said they were not authorized to represent their community and that means they are not responsible for any outcome of the meeting,” he said.

The Dinka Malual border peace committee chairperson, Anguei Noon Atak, said the conference started with a presentation of Dinka Malual laws and regulations that prohibit the random burning of bushes and driving cattle to farming areas among others.

A Rezeigat observer at the meeting, Amoru Mohammed, said his people were committed to peace and justice. 

“The message from the Rizeigat community is that we need peace, justice, and security and all of us must join hands in Sudan and South Sudan,” he said. “We must cease all tribal conflicts in both countries and have peace. We need to have one nation where peace reigns.”

The conference is funded by UNMISS, UNDP, and the Coalition for Humanity among others.