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Calm returns to Owiny-Kibul as UNMISS organises military-civilians dialogue and capacity building

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Южный Судан
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UNMISS
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MOSES YAKUDU

Owiny-Kibul, some 60 kilometres from Magwi, towards the Ugandan border, used to be a peaceful village. That was before the Nyachigak military academy and training centre were established in the vicinity, about five years ago. A recent intervention by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan has now restored some of the harmony that had gone missing.

The dreams of the indigenous villagers to develop their area became a nightmare when bitter relations between the community and the military soured. Land grabbing and the destruction of crops by cattle belonging to the military prompted the conflict.

When some houses, shops and bars were also destroyed, many women, children and elderly people settled in the Palabek refugee camp in Uganda.

“We women and children always lived in the bush. We could never get any rest, so we moved across the border,” says Achen Grace Magok, a women’s representative in Owiny-Kibul. “Today, as the matter seems to have been resolved, we have regained hope to stay at home in our village.”

Because of these tensions, the UN peacekeeping mission, in collaboration with Christian Relief Aid, a non-governmental organization based in Juba, organized a three-day forum in the area, attracting some 80 women, youth, elders, landlords, chiefs, religious leaders and military officers.

Those in attendance were taught conflict management skills, before moving on to identifying root causes of the bad blood and what to do to improve relations.

“We had lived side by side in a cordial manner for a long time. It was misinformation on the part of chiefs and administrators that brought the conflict,” says Major General Michael Awur Mawil, deputy commander of the Nyachigak military academy. “I call on the Magwi county commissioner to appoint good community leaders who can establish go rapport with us.”

The feuding parties recommended that the civilians and the armed forces jointly monitor and agree on the allotment of enough land for military use. Local authorities will be expected to form a committee to remove cattle from the area, and area chiefs will be requested to form a committee to improve relations between the police and the community to tackle criminal activities in the area.