LocationsEx-combatants hold community re-integration dialogues in Wau and Jur River counties with support from France
November 6, 2023
Group photo of Intra Dialogue Community for Wau and Jur River Counties, 1-2 November, 2023
Event Details
28 October - 03 November 2023
The South Sudan Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Commission in partnership with UNDP and UNMISS conducted community dialogues between ex-combatants, Women and Children Associated with Armed Forces and Groups (WAAFAG/CAAFAG), Youth at Risk, and other vulnerable communities in Wau and Jur River Counties.
Themed: “Towards A Peaceful Social Cohesion and Re-integration”, the dialogues facilitated discussions over conflict issues affecting the community and shared their experiences and perspectives among members in attendance. With participants which included (ex-combatants from Masunabira and Mapel Training Centers, armed youth, youth at risk, women groups, special needs groups, community leaders and representatives, from state and local level authority, Community Based Organization (CBOs), faith-based groups and religious leaders) the dialogue enhanced cohesion, broadened participants' awareness and deepened their understanding on complex problems and issues through open communication across social and cultural differences and/or power differentials.
Outcomes from the dialogues
As a way forward, both communities agreed to foster the implementation of Marial bai (an agreement signed in December 2016 between farmers and cattle keepers in Wau State to regulate their relationship) among the farmers and cattle keepers during the grazing period and will work towards strengthening security and advocate for a transparent sub-national government.
They also requested support from the CVR project in facilitating healing, trauma awareness and mental health for victims affected by the conflict. Furthermore they agreed to discourage tribalism amongst the two communities and improve economic and sustainable development, support the implementation of the rule of law where possible and require support to improve community education.
The communities requested for community reconciliation on ongoing political issues in the state and counties and would require support on the formation of land committees to help address land and boundary disputes. They dialogued and agreed that reconciliation should be initiated at the county and state level. Going forward, the communities called for a national level committee to address the conflict and political tension around the new bridge in Wau and for nationwide reduction in the prices of goods and services in the market.
The French funded CVR Project implemented by the South Sudan National DDR Commission, UNMISS and UNDP directly contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.1: which aims to significantly reduce all forms of violence and related deaths everywhere.
As outlined in the United Nations (UN) approach to DDR, CVR is a DDR-related tool that directly responds to the presence of active and/or former members of armed groups and is designed to promote security and stability in both mission and non-mission contexts.
The CVR pilot project is anchored in the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework in South Sudan (2023-2025) priorities in outcome 1, which seeks to enhance transparent, accountable, and inclusive governance, prioritizes the capacity building of the government to better undertake Judicial security sector reforms and complete the DDR process.