By Hou Akot Hou
United Nations Mission in South Sudan Civil Affairs Division held a one-day workshop on peacebuilding and reconciliation for residents of Aweil North County, Northern Bahr El Ghazal State, on Friday.
The meeting was attended by chiefs, women, youth, and residents as a whole at Gok-Machar, the Aweil North County headquarters.
One of the youths who attended the workshop told this outlet by phone that they were taken through conflict resolution methods.
Deng Garang Bol, deputy youth chairperson in the area, described the workshop as fruitful and educative.
“It was a nice workshop on Friday, as we were told that it is through conflict resolution that a successful, viable, or vibrant society can be built,” he said.
He added that nothing can be achieved in a violent society where everything is taken out of hand.
Garang stated that they are happy as a youth to propagate such peace messages to other youth and residents of Aweil North County who didn’t attend the workshop.
Meanwhile, the commissioner of Aweil North County, Mr. Kiir Chan Wol, lauded the initiative taken by the UNMISS Civil Affairs Division for making the right decision to come to their areas.
He revealed that his country is still at peace, but some people have a stake in creating problems.
“There are cases of people who have minor court cases with others, and when chiefs solve them, they never accept those, and still they prolong those grudges,” he said.
“If such workshops are addressed, including domestic violence, then they can be addressed in such a forum,” Chan stated.
The Civil Affairs Division is going to be carrying out such conflict resolution forums across the state.