By James Innocent
A three-day civil-military dialogue, facilitated by Reconcile International, commenced on Tuesday in Mugwo Payam of Yei River County.
The dialogue aims to foster reconciliation and understanding among Payawa and Yamba clans.
Over seventy participants, including military personnel, religious leaders, county and Payam administrators, representatives from SPLA/IO and SSPDF, elders, peace committee members, and officials from Reconcile International, joined the event.
Notably, women and youth representatives were actively engaged in the dialogue, emphasizing the importance of their participation in building lasting peace.
Reverend Peter Tibi, a representative of Reconcile International, called upon both the military and civilian populations of Mugwo Payam, particularly the Payawa and Yamba clans, to reconcile and forgive one another.
He stressed that achieving peace is crucial for enabling education, development, and unrestricted movement of citizens from villages to towns.
For his part, Ludanga Abraham, an elder, urged the South Sudan army to demonstrate respect for the civilian population in matters of peace and reconciliation.
He emphasized that a peaceful community leads to a peaceful nation.
Mr Abraham also appealed to South Sudanese leaders not to exploit young people for conflict.
He underlined that the youth are the future of the nation and called for recognition and support for the people of Mugwo, especially in development activities and agricultural initiatives, as the region receives an influx of returning residents.
James Wani, the Director for Peace Building in Yei River County, represented Commissioner Aggrey Cyrus Kanyikwa at the event.
Wani commended Reconcile International and the Yei River County Peace Committee for organizing the three-day civil-military dialogue.
He expressed hope that the dialogue would result in concrete resolutions, promoting peaceful coexistence within the entire community.
Paramount Chief Joseph Brown Lo Mose of Yei River County expressed his appreciation to the two communities and the military personnel for their participation in the dialogue.
He contrasted the ongoing dialogue with a previous attempt by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which failed to achieve full attendance from the concerned parties.
Chief Lo Mose expressed his optimism for the current dialogue, highlighting the presence and commitment of both the Payawa and Yamba clans and military officials.