UPPER NILE – What began with clandestine conversations between women from Akoka and Fashoda has now led to an end of a 12-year-old and frequently deadly land dispute between the two communities.
“Fashoda and Akoka are bound together through intermarriages. You find your nephew living on one side (of the river) and your uncle on the other. As women, we initiated secret conversations to resolve our differences, and, gradually, our talks have changed the attitudes of youth and traditional authorities in both communities,” says Elizabeth Ayang Aney, Chairperson of a women’s organization in Fashoda.
Following the legwork and hidden intercommunal get-togethers of ladies tired of the fighting and resulting insecurity that have endangered and restricted movement for more than a decade, a local peace deal was sealed at a three-day dialogue attended by a total of 80 representatives.
A total of 15 action-oriented resolutions were adopted, including an agreement to let anyone who wants farm along either bank of the River Nile to do so.
“The land here is fertile, every year I produce food with my own hands. I urge everyone living in our area to forgive, avoid revenge killings and embrace self-reliance instead. We must move away from depending on humanitarian aid, not least because all sorts of funding is diminishing,” commented Aker Anyang Ajak, an Akoka farmer.
The establishment of a joint fishery union and one or more local courts to handle minor conflicts are also on the suggested agenda to make improved relations last, as is a decision to let the government take on the responsibility of resolving any internal border disputes that may still arise.
“Both communities appear dedicated to overcoming their differences, enhancing social cohesion, and restoring their historical ties, as demonstrated by their readiness to peacefully share the limited resources they have access to,” said William Sunday Jial, a Civil Affairs Officer serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), who supported the peace dialogue.
The State Ministry of Peacebuilding, the International Organization for Migration, Caritas and other partners also contributed to the realization of the successful event, with all of them set engage with local authorities to monitor the practical implementation of the peace accord.
By Nyang Lieth/UNMISS
