By Peter Kuol Kuch
The commissioner of Twic East County, Juac Arok, has recommended that the communal dispute between the AYuel and Hol communities of Jonglei State can effectively be put to an end through local chiefs’ efforts.
Commissioner Arok made the statement in an interview with this outlet following a peace conference convened between communities of Ayuel of Twic East and Hol of Duk Counties early this week.
The commissioner emphasized the vital effort that chiefs from the warring communities can put in to achieve lasting peace and end the senseless conflict that has claimed the lives of many between the Ayuel and Hol communities.
“We have assured our committees, especially chiefs, and it has been agreed that there is no further confrontation that should be seen. So, the chiefs of Hol will be able to talk to their sons, mainly in Bioth-Angang and Lang, and the same to Ayuel chiefs; their sons will listen to them. We believe that chiefs can do a lot, and they can bring to an end the violence that has been happening.’’ Arok said.
He acknowledged that local chiefs are close to the communities, and they can incredibly influence the youth to the path of peaceful co-existence and harmony.
He stated that peace is a process, and it requires sacrifice and compromise in order to achieve it.
“Well, peace is a process, and it’s the process. The chiefs are the direct people, and we are using a soft approach. In a soft approach, you have to convince the person who is angered. “We believe that everything can be worked out,” he said.
Mr. Arok added that several committees have been organized and tasked from the warring communities to disseminate peace and warn the youth to refrain from the circle of violence.
Since 2023, Ayuel and Hol from Twic East and Duk Counties, respectively, have gotten into communal conflict over the highly disputed Fishing Island. Many lives were lost, and several others sustained injuries following a circle of attacks.