The Upper Nile State government has finalized preparations for a peace and reconciliation conference bringing together communities from Baliet, Ulang and Nasir counties from Aug. 24 to 30, as authorities seek to ease tensions and restore movement and trade in the area.
Upper Nile State Minister of Peacebuilding Piot Aben Gach on Thursday called on residents of the three counties to participate actively in the conference, saying it would provide a forum to address grievances, rebuild trust and restore social cohesion.
“The preparations are complete, and we are ready for the peace and reconciliation conference. I am calling upon our citizens from Baliet, Ulang and Nasir to prepare and participate actively in this important conference,” Gach told Radio Tamazuj.
The conference is being organized by the Upper Nile State government in collaboration with national and international partners.
Gach said the conference would focus on restoring relations among communities in the three counties following recent tensions and conflicts that have disrupted social and economic activities.
“Our main objective is to restore the social fabric among our communities. The recent tensions and problems have affected the relationships between our people and disrupted social life. We need to come together, talk to one another and find a peaceful way forward,” he said.
Waterway
Gach said reopening the waterway between Malakal and Nasir would be a key issue at the peace conference.
The waterway connects communities in the three counties and provides a transportation and supply route for food and other essential commodities. It also serves as a link between Upper Nile State and neighboring Ethiopia.
“The opening of the waterway from Malakal to Nasir is very important. It connects our counties and is also an important supply route for food and other commodities. It can contribute significantly to the movement of goods and people and to the economy of Upper Nile State,” Gach said.
He said restoring freedom of movement would help rebuild confidence among communities and support trade and other economic activity.
“Our people should be able to move freely between these counties. When movement is restored, economic activities will also increase, and this will help improve the living conditions of our people,” he said.
Partner support
Gach thanked organizations supporting preparations for the conference, including the Civil Affairs Division of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
“We appreciate all the organizations that have supported us in preparing for this conference. Their contributions have been important, and we are grateful for their partnership,” he said.
He said the state government would provide security and other necessary support to the organizations taking part in the conference.
“The government will provide protection and the necessary support to these organizations so that they can carry out their duties and contribute to the success of this initiative,” he said.
Gach said the state government remained committed to restoring peace and rebuilding relationships among communities across Upper Nile State.
“We want to restore the social fabric of our state to where it was before the recent events that our country has experienced. This requires the participation and commitment of all our communities,” he said.
The seven-day conference is expected to bring together representatives from the three counties, community leaders and other stakeholders to discuss grievances, promote reconciliation and identify measures to strengthen peaceful coexistence.
and then