By James Innocent
A two-day civil-military dialogue kicked off on Wednesday, in Yei River County of Central Equatoria State.
It is supported by the International Organization for Migration in partnership with the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, (CEPO) Whitaker Peace and Development Organization, UNMISS, and other Organizations operating within Yei.
CEPO’s executive director, Mr. Edmond Yakani, during the opening of the forum, said the dialogue is very important in order to create a good, peaceful co-existence between the army and citizens.
“Dialogue is very important in bringing peace between soldiers and civilians and has a good impact on relationship building, especially for soldiers in uniform,” Yakani remarked.
Yakani said there are people who like fanning conflicts for their own benefit, and the dialogue is very important in order to resolve the conflicts arising in the country.
He pointed out that the main cause of conflict in South Sudan is tribalism and the luck of love among the South Sudanese.
“The conflicts arising among the civilians and the soldiers are just because of tribalism in the nation, which needs unity, common understanding, and love amongst each other,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Yei River County commissioner, Aggrey Cyrus Kanyikwa, remarked that civilians are the powers of the military.
He called on soldiers to respect the civil population in order to co-exist peacefully through unity because they needed each other.
“Soldiers cannot survive without civilians, and civilians cannot have protection, and what is really making soldiers hate themselves with civilians? Is it power sharing, tribalism, corruption, or nepotism?” he asked.
The commissioner viewed the dialogue as a step towards finding meaningful ways of handling matters between the military and civilians.
“There are different issues, so we are looking into solutions to bring back a good approach to the community because without a good relationship, it is going to be a big challenge for people to get new soldiers,” he lamented.
Rose Bako, one of the participants, stated that the main cause of conflicts in Yei is tribalism, adding that the dialogue is a very important initiative to build peace among the two sides.
“So, with this dialogue, if all the citizens understand unity well with a good heart, peace will reign in Yei River County,” she hinted.
The dialogue brought together over one hundred participants, both civilians and military personnel, including chiefs, county commissioner partners, and religious leaders from different denominations