By Emelda Siama John Lopula
The Unified forces military command has appealed for forgiveness and unity with the community of Kajo-Keji County as they work to mend the fragile civil-military relation in the county and execute their duty of protecting the people and their property.
Speaking on phone to No.1 Citizens Daily Newspaper yesterday, the commissioner of Kajo-Keji county Phanuel Dumo said the Community of Kajo-Keji County agreed to re-unite again with the unified forces after the army apologized to the citizens over the previous fragile relationship.
This new development came in a three days civil-military dialogue successfully concluded in Kajo-Keji County of Central Equatoria State with calls for expedition of unification of forces to avoid unnecessary creation of affiliated armed groups.
Commissioner Dumo said the three days’ conference, on civil-military relation dialogue in Kajo-keji County enable both parties to express themselves and appealed to each other for forgiveness, especially on the side of the army as well as the community also apologized.
He said the army unified their ranks and promised to work hand in hand to depend the people and the properties.
“We are ready to guide the people and the land, we have adopted more 15 resolutions and then we form a committee of 13 people that will be going all around the Payams and open places at large to supportive and informs citizens on the issues that will happened in the areas,” the commissioner noted.
Dumo said, both the army and civilians have agreed to promote peace create and unity in the areas.
He added that the community however appealed to the authorities that, the unified forces should be deployed to Kajo-Keji to ensure peace and stability in the area.
“We want enough forces to be brought here because we have a pretty problem at the border side, so that forces are deployed along the border to protect our tertiary from enchroachment by the neighboring district of Uganda,” he said.
Commissioner Duma noted that the cattle herders have almost left the areas of Kajo-Keji, now at the side of Kaya though still in Kajo-Keji soil.
“On 28th last month, a group of cattle herder have departed through Kaya road to Bori Boma and collected 150 cattle that belong to citizens of Bori Boma and they abducted 50 years old person, whose name remain unknown then we went with the youth to look for him but we couldn’t found,” he said.
The commissioner underlined that by then it was cattle herders which was a treat, “they are terming to become rebel to come and collect our cattle, I think the vigilantes will be there to meet them, because it’s like you are trying to punish the people when we have told them to move peaceful without fight,” he added.
In his closing remarks at the conference the Commissioner admitted that the civil-military dialogue has helped in restoring the trust, confidence and hope between the civilians and the military in Kajo-Keji County.
He advocated for peaceful co-existence between civilians and military forces.
For his part, the Archbishop of Central Equatoria Internal Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (CEIP), Dr. Paul Pitia Yugusuk also appealed for peaceful co-existence and social harmony between civilian and the military for sustainable peace to prevail.
“All the resolutions from the dialogue should by fully implemented,” he urged.
The conference Organized by Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) aimed are restoring trust and confidence between civilians and the military was attended by community leaders, women, youth, local government officials, religious leaders, and members of the military.
Meanwhile, the South Sudan Peoples Defense Force (SSPDF) commander for Ground force, Battalion 2, Kajo-Keji area, Gen. Malong Agat explained that peaceful co-existence is core in any mediation between civilians and the military.
“Community members, local leaders, religious leaders and the military should work hard to ensure all resolutions of the dialogue are implemented,” he said.
Agat urged all parties to the peace deal to implement the security arrangements.
Due to the continued presence of armed rebel groups in the area and its neighboring counties, the situation in greater Yei River County changed significantly following the escalation of conflict in 2016. This resulted in the significant internal displacement and migration across the neighboring countries such as Uganda.
Moses Pitia, the Project Manager for CEPO appealed to both the military and local authorities to bring to book all the perpetrators of different incidences in the county as a receipt for justice, accountability and the rule of law in Kajo-Keji.
The dialogue further resolved that state and county authorities should continue to dialogue with neighboring communities on boundary and land issues; deployment of police force in all Payams of the county; ensure county judicial systems, including court martial are functional; improvement of network services, among others.
The Reconciliation, Stabilization, and Resilience in South Sudan (RSRTF) project being piloted in the counties of greater Yei is designed to help communities in Yei, Lainya, Morobo and Kajo-Keji counties reconcile and end violence, bring stability where they live, and create new initiatives to sustain peaceful coexistence.
Project is being led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with support from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).